Dia Del Phantasma
by DigitalArtMonster
Summary: Paulina Sanchez is getting ready to celebrate the Day of the Dead with her family and wants to honor her favorite ghost boy as a thank you for everything he’s done for her. However, nobody knows much about the infamous Danny Phantom. So she decides to play detective to find out more about him, stumbling upon much more than what she bargained for. Multi-chapter Reveal Fic.
1. The Epiphany

Chapter One: The Epiphany

It's been about three years since Danny Phantom became an accepted presence within Amity Park. As more time passed, the citizens recognized his heroic efforts and his strong desire to help and protect the town and its people. He became the official, unofficial hero of Amity Park. Of course, there are some who still believe he's nothing but a menace biding his time. However those people are few and far between.

Many citizens have come to know Phantom as more than just a ghost. Some have had the pleasure of speaking to him on occasion, asking for advice or simply venting. Many say that he is very sensible and a great listener, an all around sweet boy. To the town, Phantom has become a hero, a consultant, a role model, a counselor, an ambassador, a motivator, a legend and even a friend. He is the town's very own treasure, kept secret from he rest of the world. One girl however, treasures him more than anyone will know.

Paulina Sánchez appeared to have it all. She was popular, beautiful, rich, and very smart. Though some may want to say otherwise, the lowest grade she's ever gotten is a B-. She is known as the queen of Casper High, even though she's only a junior. That fact alone gets under the senior girls skin, since she was crowned with the title her freshman year. In the past she always came across as a selfish, shallow, self centered brat, though it was more out of insecurity and the childish want to fit in and be popular. After three years of living in a ghost infested town where any day could be your last, she's learned that it's us against them. So instead of calling people out for being nerds, geeks, or goths, she's learned to not judge someone by they're appearance. Because you never know who could rise to the occasion and save your life.

The final bell rang, signaling the long awaited end of day. Paulina makes her way towards her locker, hanging back a bit to evade the crowd and get out as soon as she's done, she promised Star they would go shopping today. Entering her combination she puts away her books and retrieves the ones she needs for homework.

One might be surprised at the lack of Phantom related items when peering inside her locker. All of the newspaper articles, pictures and love letters are all strangely absent. After watching Phantom for three years she realized that her crush on him was not exactly what she thought it was. What she felt wasn't necessarily romantic love for the Ghost Boy, it was more of a platonic love filled with respect and gratitude. The kind of love you feel for a best friend. She won't deny that she still thinks he's very good looking and her crush was very real at the time, but she wouldn't want to date him. Danny Phantom is a symbol of hope and peace within the town and she wouldn't want to take that away from everyone.

Besides, it wouldn't work out anyway, she's watched many superhero movies to know that the hero's girlfriend is always the bad guy's preferred target. Dating Phantom would be more of a hassle than a satisfactory relationship. She looks at the calendar hanging at the back of her locker, which reads October 19th, it's almost time for the celebration. She closes her locker, stuffs her books in her bag and heads towards the exit.

Suddenly the fluorescent hallway lights expload, sending sparks and glass flying everywhere. Everyone screamed and ducked for cover, this can only be a ghost attack. As the entire school was stampeding out through every exit, Paulina's foot got yanked out from underneath her. Yelping in surprise, she slammed painfully on the linoleum floor. Though a bit dazed, she attempted to get up only to get pulled through the hallway, screaming the whole way down.

Trying her hardest to free her foot from the slimy green limb, she is lifted into the air and comes face to face with her captor, a giant ecto-squid screeches at her. Heart already beating twice as fast, the Ghost shoots up intangibly through the roof and into the sky. She has never felt fear on this level before. During all the other ghost attacks she's always been on the ground, but now, one false move and she'll be nothing but a red splat on the pavement. The ecto-squid flies higher and higher, and the school becomes smaller and smaller, the blood rushing to her head won't let her hear her own screams. Suddenly the tentacle holding her jerks and loosens, dropping her in the process.

Tumbling through the air her life flashes before her eyes until she accepts her fate. However, her falling is abruptly cut short. She cracks an eye open and sees a black and white jumpsuit, thank the Lord in heaven it's Phantom! Clinging to him for dear life, she cries silently. The relief at being alive coupled with the shock is too much, she can't seem to stop crying, little hiccups occasionally escaping her lips. He rubs her back comfortingly, whispering soothing words in hopes to calm her down. They land on the school's roof and he tries to pry her fingers off, but she is too shaken up to let go. After a few more minutes of digging her fingernails into his shoulders she slowly lets go and he puts her down.

As she feels safe enough to step back, he's looking at her concerned, he appears to be checking her over for injuries. She smiles at him, telling him she's fine, just a bit shaken but not stirred. He catches her joke and laughs, reasoning that if she can crack jokes then she must be ok. She can't help but smile broadly at him, he has this ability to make people feel at ease. He catches her smile and blushes neon green, she giggles while wiping her tears.

He offers to fly her home but after a moment of hesitation she refuses. She doesn't want him to think she still has a crush on him if she accepts too eagerly, she's noticed the way he treats her, he definitely knows and is very uncomfortable with it. She wants to move past that so instead asks if he could fly her to the schoolyard as a compromise. He gives her an odd look but agrees. He puts her down and she has to basically force him to leave, he's still fussing over her. He really is a sweet boy.

She watches him fly away into the sunset, thanking her lucky stars that she has someone looking out for her. Star comes running, asking a million things at once. She assures her she's fine but isn't really in the mood to go shopping anymore. Star immediately tells her it's fine, she would have told her to go home anyway. Star offers to walk her home but she refuses, saying she's fine. They say their goodbyes and walk in opposite directions.

As she walks home thinking about all the nice things Phantom has done for her over the years, she realizes she hasn't done anything to show her gratitude. Passing by a store taking out their Halloween decorations, she spots an ornate skull. She smiles. She loves this time of year because of Día de los Muertos. It's the one time of year where the whole family gathers to honor those who have passed on and celebrate their memory. This year the festivities will be held at her house, therefore she needs to help out around the house and have everything ready by Halloween. Everyone decided to start gathering the last week of October so that they can all be together by November 1st to start the festivities. Staring at the skull she notices it has emeralds embedded in the eye sockets, in the setting sun they almost look like they're glowing. Her eyes grow wide and she gasps, she was struck with divine inspiration. This year she would include Phantom in her Día de los Muertos celebration as a way to express her gratitude!

 **There we go! The beginning of this Paulina-centered cultural reveal fic. Sorry if it's a bit of a slow start but I gotta set the scene before we dive in. Some of my friends on tumblr really wanted to see a fic where Paulina wants to honor Danny Phantom in the day of the dead celebration and in trying to find out more about him discovered his secret. I thought this would be a great opportunity to write Paulina as more of a whole character and give her the development she didn't get.**

 **Also I am Dominican not Mexican so I'm trying to educate myself on this holiday as best I can to write it accurately so if I'm off about something please let me know and I'll fix it straight away. I think the día de los muertos is perfect to show Paulina embracing her heritage as well as sharing the tradition with other people who may not know about it.**

 **And lastly, for those of you who might not get Paulina's joke, it's a play off of James Bond's famous martini line "shaken not stirred" Incase you were wondering.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	2. The Plan

Chapter Two: The Plan

Paulina slams her head against the desk and groans. Dozens of crumpled paper balls litter the floor near the over flowing waste basket. This was easier said than done. She tried to come up with the perfect shrine design and what offerings it should include but she doesn't even know if Phantom was religious when he was alive. She sighs into the crook of her elbow as she leans on her folded arms, talk about ignorant, she doesn't even know if he can eat people food. The only thing she knows about him is his name and that he fights ghosts. Damn it! She slams a fist on the desk.

Ok, calm down, getting angry won't solve anything. There's still time for her to get this under lock and key. There's about two weeks left before the Shrines are supposed to go up, so if she works fast and efficiently she can find out more about Phantom and then it will be mission accomplished. First she should break this down into something more manageable. Alright, first things first, organize the levels of the shrine so that they can apply to Phantom as accurately as possible.

There are seven levels to a shrine, so from the ground up it's starts with a cross made of fruits on the floor, for the atonement of sins and a candle pathway to lead the soul. Then a photo of who is being honored, she has plenty of those. Third is food and water, stuff they liked to eat and seasonal fruits, she'll have to ask him his favorite foods. Fourth is the Pan de Muerto, she'll have to ask her grandmother on how to make the sweet bread roll properly, it's usually covered in red sugar to symbolize blood but since Phantom bleeds green ectoplasm she'll change it for him. She thinks about how much fun decorating the chocolate Calaveras is going to be, the little skulls are so cute, that reminds her, she'll have to ask him if he likes chocolate.

The fifth level is the salt for cleansing the children's spirit, he technically counts as a kid right? Note: ask how old he is. Number six is made up of candles to lead the soul out of purgatory. Her pencil stalls. Is that why the ghosts are stuck here on earth? Because this is their purgatory? She shakes her head, not liking where that train of though was going. Finally the last level is the chosen religious image. She taps her pen against her lips, which figure should she use? She'll play it safe and use the Virgin Mary.

Lifting up her list and giving it a once over, she feels a lot better about how to tackle this. Some offerings she can get no problem, the rest she's going to have to ask Phantom. The color theme is obviously going to be black, white and green, except for the marigolds. Maybe she should include flowers he likes as well. She leans her head back in her arms and yawns, today was so exhausting, she'll start on the plan tomorrow.

As she is drifting off to sleep she hears a feint tapping sound. Sluggishly she lifts her head and looks at the window, nearly jumping out of her chair, words can't describe the utter astonishment she feels. Waving and asking to come in is non other than the source of her dilemma. She numbly nods her head, vaguely amused that instead of just phasing in he asks permission. He phases in, looking equal parts uncomfortable and worried. She will never get over how strange it looks when ghosts phase through solid objects. The atmosphere changes and becomes just slightly colder in the room.

"Sorry for barging in on you but I have to make sure that you're ok. That attack this afternoon was...why are you looking at me like that?"

She knew she was staring, but couldn't help it. He was here, he was really here, she could ask him everything she needed to know! Instinctively she covered her list, wanting to keep it a surprise. She smiles a warmly at him, he's still worried. He's making it very hard for her to not fall for him.

"Sorry, I just didn't expect you to come all this way. Thank you"

He rubs the back of his neck looking all bashful, she giggles.

"Hey um, I actually wanted to ask you some thing"

He looks at her and she can see he hesitation in his eyes. He subtly floats away from the bed and closer to the window. Ah, he still thinks she's crazy for him. She doesn't move from her spot and it seems he's satisfied with the distance between them. It does hurt a little bit but she understands.

"Oh, um, sure"

"Can you eat human food and if you do what are your favorites?"

It's obvious that was not what he was expecting by the bewildered expression on his face. She doesn't bat an eye, she needs him to take her seriously so she presses on.

"I'm doing a personal project on ghosts and since you're the town hero and all I feel safer asking you"

He still has a slightly guarded look in his eyes but seems to relax a bit. He appeared to be picking his words very carefully. Finally he answers and she is delighted to know he can eat. From then he lists off a few of his favorite foods like fried chicken, lasagna, sushi, he even adds tamales to the list and she is beyond ecstatic. Her aunt makes the best tamales this side of the country, he's in for a real treat. After a little while she tries to stifle a yawn but he catches her and bids her good night.

"Wait! Um, is it ok if I ask you more questions later on? Until my project is done?"

He's hesitant to answer right away but then looks at her and says that as long as she doesn't put herself in danger by trying to grab his attention then it's fine. She thanks him for everything and wishes him pleasant dreams. He looks at her with a slightly pained expression, he hopes so too. That statement sobers her up a bit but before she can say anything he's already gone. That confirms two things: ghosts can sleep and Phantom has nightmares on the regular. That makes her sad, but she guesses it can't be helped. When you're responsible for the lives of the entire town you see horrors that normal people don't.

This fills her with more determination to complete this shrine and make it the best one ever. Maybe then, with all of the blessings and prayers he will be at peace. Maybe after the celebrations he'll stop having nightmares. She looks out the window, into the night sky. She wonders where he goes whenever he's not fighting ghosts. It can't be the Ghost Zone because that's where all the other ghosts live. Is it possible for him to live outside of it though? Don't ghosts need ectoplasm to survive in the human world? Does that mean Phantom is different from other ghosts? With these questions rolling around her head she slowly drifts off to sleep.

 **Phew! I spent a lot of time researching the traditions for the day of the dead like nobody's business. Hopefully I got everything right and the explanations felt organic and not too forced.**

 **I've never had to use a character to explain something like this before so I hope it didn't feel cheesy or too much like a long ass explanation hahaha.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	3. The Accomplice

Chapter Three: The Accomplice

Paulina Sánchez makes it a point to always appear flawless and make it look effortless. That doesn't mean however, that her day starts that way. Turning off the alarm clock and sitting up in bed are feats that require almost monumental effort on her part. Scratching at the rat's nest on her head and wiping the drool off her cheek with a sleeve, she stretches far enough for something to pop. Only then will she be satisfied enough to leave he comfort of her bed and stumble into the adjoining bathroom. After a hot shower she is awake enough to think coherently, making her way downstairs for breakfast. The enticing smell of huevos rancheros guiding her the whole way down the halls.

"Buenos días mija, how did you sleep?"

She grunts noncommittally, still not awake enough for conversation. Paulina may be a lot of things but a morning person is not one of them. Her mother, too used to this gives her a big kiss on the forehead as she serves breakfast. However before she can finish serving her daughter juice, a pair of big strong arms grab her by the middle and lift into the air.

"Buenos días Carmen my love, my queen, my goddess"

"Jesús you beast! Put me down this instant, the juice is spilling!"

Paulina can't help but giggle at her father's antics. He is such an affectionate man who simply adores his family. He makes a show of putting her mother down and an over dramatic apology follows, which includes puppy dog eyes and lots of kisses. Her mother can't resist and gives in, smiling the whole time. She watches the spectacle while enjoying her breakfast. However, directly after being forgiven, her father turns to her with a devious glint I his eyes.

"Don't even think about it papá, I'm not even done with my breakfast."

"Aww, don't be like that muñequita."

She continues eating, ignoring him and all the pet names he drops. He dejectedly walks past her after no success, only to ambush her from behind with kisses to the neck. She dissolves into laughter, his mustache tickling her. When the assault is over he pats her on the head or tries to since it's wrapped in a towel, and goes to get ready for work. She finishes up her breakfast, already in a better mood than when she woke up.

After combing and blowdrying her hair into the perfect wave she starts on her makeup. This is her favorite part of the morning routine. She has always been a girly girl ever since she can remember, and make up is a must for her to feel beautiful. Because if her outside is beautiful then her inside is also beautiful. She stops, slowly bringing down the foundation brush and smiling ruefully into the mirror. Spectra left some deep scars, but she's not sure she can get over that one. Shaking her head to clear away the sudden dark clouds she resumes, applying concealer to her very prominent dark circles and very secret mole.

She has come to think about makeup as just art for your face, to enhance what's already there or create something entirely new. All the different colors and finishes, every day she can do something different and never get bored. Finishing off with some lipgloss she grabs her bag and after grabbing her phantom shrine chart, runs into her father's waiting car.

He drives her to school and after a kiss goodbye she walks the remaining block to Casper High. Not even half way up the block and someone already bumps into her. She falls backwards with a grunt, rubbing her sore butt.

"Watch where you're going jerk!"

"Ah! I'm so sorry Paulina, are you ok?"

"Yeah whatever, just keep your nose out of the book while you're walking Mikey geez. I'm surprised you haven't fallen down an open sewer."

Mikey rubs his arm looking embarrassed, he apologizes again and offers a hand to her. Annoyed she roughly takes his hand and after getting up and demanding he pick up her books at least, she continues on her way. Star catches up to her first and they talk about homework, fashion, anything that comes to mind. They meet with Dash and Kwan at their lockers and after exchanging morning greetings make their way to class.

Class is as boring as ever, except for Fenton arriving fashionably late like always. He's such a weird kid, granted his family is a bit unconventional, but he's especially strange. He's not the same brand of weird as his parents. He's always so jumpy and tired. Though, she's noticed that even though he's always hanging back and acting shy, he's very observant. She's seen the look in his eyes on occasion, like he knows more than he lets on. Like he can see things that aren't there. It's kind of unsettling really.

The lunch bell rings for a well deserved break, students make their way to the cafeteria, talking and murmuring about the latest trends or lack there of. Paulina trails along the back of the former A-list group, lost in thought. Trying to figure out how she's going learn more about the Ghost Boy, maybe she should ask the experts? The Fenton's seem to have come to a truce with Phantom since they don't shoot at him anymore. Yeah, she should ask them-

"Hello? Earth to Paulina"

"Huh?"

"Geez, you're turning into a real space cadet there. You been hanging with Fenton lately?"

"Ha ha, very funny Dash, if you must know I was thinking about all the preparations I have to do for the day of the dead"

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon. So you're gonna go to your aunt's again?"

"No, the party's being held at my house this time, so I gotta help get everything ready."

"Oh cool, you better save me some of your aunt's tamales"

She laughs. She's so happy her friends are so understanding of her culture and customs. They've very respectful and are always asking questions, wanting to learn more about it. Hell, last year they surprised her with a mini party just for them so she didn't feel left out. Often times when participating in a festive event like this, because the whole family is present, you tend to get lost in the sea of people. They were very thoughtful of her and her feelings. It was probably the best party she's been to. She's made up her mind, and Dash is probably the best person for the job.

"Actually can I ask you a favor?"

 **There goes the third installment of this cultural epic lol. What do you think about he names I chose for Paulina's mom and dad? They felt the most right to me. Also her dad is a giant goofy teddy bear but a raging beast if you mess with his family. Her mom is the one that keeps the house in order. She's a small woman but she's even scarier than her husband. Don't make her mad.**

 **I'm a big fan of supportive A-list friends. They would totally be cool with Paulina's heritage and want to know more so they can share it with her. Let me know what you think!**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. Ghostketeers 20

Chapter Four: Ghostketeers 2.0

"Are you sure about this? I mean, I know we did it once but...I don't know, don't you think this is a bit much?"

"You know you want to do this as much as I do, and you promised."

"Yeah but...isn't this a bit sudden? Like don't you think this could raise suspicions or something? Maybe you should think this over a bit more."

Paulina looks at him unimpressed. They stare each other down, trying to will the other to see it from their perspective. She knows he's a bit uncomfortable but he said he'd do this with her so he can't back out now. The staring contest goes on for a while. Dash huffs in annoyance and rings the doorbell, to her delight and eternal gratitude. She doubted she could do this by herself, his presence is very comforting.

"I'll get it! No, dad please go back downstairs, I said I got it. NO STOP!"

They brace themselves for he imminent attack. Thundering footsteps can be heard speeding to the door. Dash looks about ready to bolt out of there and she's not doing any better. They brace for impact. The door flings open with so much force it's a miracle it's still on its hinges. It slams into the wall, fitting perfectly into the pre-existing grove. The resulting gust of wind ruffles their clothes and hair, they scrunch up their faces and shake in fear.

"GHOST! Oh, it's just people."

Jack Fenton disappointedly walks away from the door. She tries very hard to calm her racing heart and wobbly legs, thanking the Lord that she didn't get dowsed if green foam this time. She peeks over at Dash and if the pale skin and knocking knees are any indication, he appears to be thinking along he same lines. Even though the Ghostketeers where short lived, they did learn a lot in that time. Hopefully she can invoke the Fenton's will to teach to her advantage. Jazz gets to the door and apologizes for her father, inviting them in. After being seated she disappears into the kitchen and returns with some water and baked cheese crackers. She comments on them being Danny's favorite, funny, these are her favorite too.

"I'm sorry, Danny just left a little bit ago. You can still catch him if you hurry, I think he went to the Nasty Burger with Sam and Tucker."

"Actually we came to see your mom and dad, I-we have a...project we're working on and I think they can help me-us finish it."

Dash nods frantically, excitement returning to his body. Paulina explained to him what she was planning to do for their resident Ghost hero, of course he couldn't refuse an opportunity like this. He is Phantom's biggest fan after all, and he's so grateful to him for many things, especially for his little sister, if it wasn't for Phantom saving her from the black dragon ghost she wouldn't be alive right now.

"Oh, well...if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is this project about?"

"Oh um. Well we...uhh"

"...Wanted to learn about ghost biology and behavior for an extra credit paper!"

Paulina is so grateful she brought Dash. She would have totally crashed and burned, she's never been too good at lying under pressure. Thankfully she's mastered her poker face. Jazz seems to be satisfied with that answer but she can see the cautious doubt in her teal eyes. The redhead hesitates before leading them down into the lab, what could she be so worried about? She doesn't press the issue, she's finally going to get some answers and put her plan into motion.

Upon descending the metal stairs, the basement is a lot bigger than she initially thought. The large space houses everything from chemical cabinets, floor to ceiling Ghost containment chambers to every anti ghost weapon imaginable. Couple that with the enormous weapons vault and ghost portal and the lab feels legit. Last time they came over they never made it past the living room, this is a whole new ball game.

After convincing the Fenton parents to help them out the rest was cake. They were already eager enough to talk about their work but now they were giving them lessons on how to catch ghosts with Fenton weaponry. They talked about obsessions, powers, weaknesses, everything that was of no use to her. Sure it was interesting but it wasn't what she needed, and it's impossible to get a word in when they're rambling a mile a minute. Dash nudges her and gives her a pleading look, obviously this isn't what he wanted to learn either.

As she tries to ask about Phantom for the tenth time she spots a device to her left, on a cluttered table. It looks very different than every other anti-ghost weapon, squinting her eyes for a better look it appears to be some kind of tracker. Well, they are scientists, it makes sense that they would make other things besides weapons.

"...and that's how you extract the ectoplasm without getting your fingers blown off!"

"Thank you so much Ms. Fenton for that...informative demonstration, but I think we have enough material for our paper now, and I have to get home soon."

"Aww, but he haven't even shown you the Fenton Ghost Splicer"

"That's ok Mr. Fenton um...you can show us next time, but we gotta go, I promised I'd walk Paulina home"

They slowly back away and once they're close enough to the mouth of the stairs, turn and sprint up and out as fast as they can, almost running over Jazz in the process. They zoom out the door and keep running for three more blocks. Only when they reach the park do they slow down to catch their breath. They find a bench and plop themselves on it, panting.

"Please don't make me do that again"

"Don't worry, I'm never going back there as long as I live"

"I'm still disappointed that we didn't learn anything new about Phantom, that felt like such a waste."

"It was still a lucrative visit though"

Dash looks at her skeptically, raising one eyebrow. She scoffs and lightly smacks him on the shoulder. They start snickering, then it evolves into laughter. That was worse than listening to Lancer talk about the importance of punctuation in poetry. She suddenly sits up and turns to Dash, flashing a victorious and mischievous smile. But before she can say what she wanted, she is interrupted by a falling body!?

Screaming in fear she leaps off the bench and the body lands right on top of Dash, momentarily knocking the wind out of him. Back firmly planted on the floor with legs resting on the bench, she scrambles into a sitting position only to find Danny Fenton sprawled half on the bench, half on Dash. She is flabbergasted, where even did he come from!? Dash voices her thoughts, though not as eloquently.

"FENTON!? What the fuck even? Where did- how did- dude!?"

"Oww. Huh? OH SHIT! Sorry Dash I was trying to-"

"Did you find him!?"

They turn to the voice and see a little boy with dirty blond hair running towards them, followed by Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. The three of them look like they rolled down a muddy hill. Paulina stands up as they reach the bench, Dash helping Danny into an upright position. The little boy frantically asks about something he lost. She looks over at Danny as he smiles and unzips his red hoodie. A kitten pops out and mews at him, it almost sounds like it's saying thank you. Time seems to slow down as Danny returns the kitten and interacts with the boy. Has his smile always been that disarming?

She watches as he delicately extracts the kitten from his hoodie and gently places it in the boy's awaiting arms. She's never seen a guy handle anything with such care and attention. He says something that makes them all laugh but she can't hear for some reason. The moment passes and he Boy jogs away yelling one final thank you. She shakes herself back to reality, what was that? And why is her heart racing?

"Fenton, you're telling me you were up there rescuing a kitten?"

"Well yeah, the kid looked so sad and we weren't doing anything so we helped look for him."

"But Danny, that was almost a three story fall! Are you sure you're ok?"

"Relax Paulina, I'm fine, honest-"

"Besides it's not like he broke anything with Baxter the human cushion breaking his fall"

"Very funny Manson, you know he's a lot heavier then he looks, ow, and bonier too"

The boys start bickering about who's heavier that who, Tucker complaining about his ruined tech loud enough for the whole park to hear. She finds herself staring at Danny, he doesn't look any different...maybe a bit less skinny that freshman year?

"Hey Sánchez, you ok?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it. Just a bit sore from the fall. A better question is what happened to you? You look and smell like a drowned rat"

"Tsk, well excuse me, but we can't all look like glamorous princesses 24/7. While trying to find the damn cat Tucker tripped and took us down the hill with him."

"Ew, did you end up in the lake of something?"

Sam makes a face that looks like a cross between sucking on a lemon and stepping on rusty nails, she can't help but laugh at the girl's predicament. Eventually Sam can't hold on any more and laughs along too. Sobering up a bit she looks over at Danny again.

"Are you sure he's ok? That was a really big fall and I'm sure I saw a couple of cuts on his face"

"Yeah he's fine. Trust me he's a lot tougher that he looks, hell, he'd be the type to get hit by a car and just walk it off"

"Don't lie to me Manson, I can tell you're worried about him. It's written all over your face"

"Ugh, he's such a reckless idiot, of course I'm always worried about him. He's always getting himself into stupidly difficult situations. Then again, it's my fault he's like this..."

Before she could ask what she means by that, Danny yells, grabbing everyone's attention, something about a clock needing some work? The trio scramble to gather their things and make a run for it, saying their goodbyes. They've always been a strange group, and the sudden exits are just a part of who they are so it's nothing out of the ordinary. She sighs and returns her attention to her shrine preparations. Gathering their own things Dash walks her home, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey Paulina, what was it that you were gonna tell me before Fenton made his grand entrance?"

"Huh? Oh! It was nothing really"

He watches her for a bit, then shrugs and they continue on their way. Both lost in thought once again. She glances at Dash and grips her purse nervously, making sure he isn't looking. She reaches in and pushes the Fenton Boomerang to the bottom of the bag.

 **OHHHH SHIET! Things are getting serious. Long story short, the trio and the A-list get along now. Some more than others but at least they're all civil towards each other.**

 **I'm sorry it's taking so long to update these chapters, I don't really write ahead, I make it up as I go along. I have a clear end and I know how I want to get there but the details are kinda fuzzy lol. Also, when I do write out a chapter I proof read it many times so that the points make sense with previous chapter events and that they line up with future chapters.**

 **I also make extra sure that everyone is as in character as possible, even those who were one dimensional. I always try to write them as believable as possible :)**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Confusing Thoughts

**A/N: I'm so sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. I accidentally sliced a part of my finger off...I talk about it more at the end if you wanna know the tea.**

Chapter Five: Confusing Thoughts

She makes a bee line to her room, not even acknowledging her parents greetings. She walks in as if on autopilot, closing the door behind her, she stares down at her school bag. What did she just do!? What possessed her to steal, and from the Fenton's of all people! She clutches the bag to her chest and squeezes her eyes shut. It all happened so fast, she just grabbed it without thinking. She sighs, she'll return it as soon as she can work up the nerve and apologize to them. For now she'll stuff the incriminating evidence in the very back of her closet where nobody will find it. And pray to God that they don't need it.

She grabs her pjs and heads to the bathroom to take a boiling hot shower to clear her thoughts. As the water starts running her mind wanders back to the park. More specifically, Danny. That little moment caught her way off guard. Why did he suddenly look so...cute? It was probably the kitten helping him out. She thinks about everything she knows about him, as a student, as a person, as a friend. She runs through all of their interactions since she's known him. Truth is he's just an ordinary guy, there's nothing overly special about him. Sure he's clumsy and has a borderline unhealthy obsession with astronomy, but he's also very nice and thoughtful. She catches herself smiling at the thought.

Why was she acting so weird around him today? She shakes her head and dismisses it as overexposure to Fenton weirdness. No use in stressing out when there's nothing to stress over. She turns off the water and dries herself down. However she still can't get his smile out of her head. Getting dressed she walks out, preparing herself to do some homework, but it seems life had other plans for her evening.

Upon walking out she is blasted by cold air, not expecting the drastic change in temperature she squeaks. At the same time, something, or rather some one, jumps in surprise.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have just come in, even if you said I didn't have to ask. I should have waited outside. Um...I can come back later...?"

"No! It's ok, really...I just wasn't expecting the sudden temperature change...haha..."

Phantom was floating cross legged in a corner of her room, studying one of her sketchbooks she left open. They agreed that he would stop by whenever he had time to spare to help her on her "project" but she didn't expect him to come over so soon. She's thankful she decided to get dressed inside the bathroom this time. He gives her this odd look, like he's trying to figure something out. He meets her eyes and immediately looks away blushing. She's a bit amused by that, not sure what to make of it. He clears his throat.

"So, what's your project about again?"

"Oh, um...I'm basically writing a paper on ghost biology and behavior. But since you're my main example I'm going to be asking you more specific questions about yourself. N-nothing invasive or anything just simple things!"

He chuckles at her frantic arm waiving. She doesn't want to scare him off if he thinks she's going to ask him deep intrusive questions. He smiles at her, a warm kind of smile that even reaches his eyes, and for a second she is reminded of Danny at the park again. She laughs nervously at the whole ordeal.

"Ok...so what do you want to know?"

"Well, last time you had told me that ghosts can eat if they wanted to right?"

He nods and reminds her of his favorite foods. He goes a bit into detail about a ghost's insides and what they can and can't eat. She's just slightly grossed out but listens anyway. She asks if he's allergic to anything and if that allergy transfers over when becoming a ghost. He tells her he's allergic to peanuts and depending on how strong the allergy was in life then it can transfer over. She makes a note to stay away from peanut butter when making his offerings.

"Oh and don't go anywhere near a ghost with blood blossom flowers"

"Ive never heard of them before...how come?"

"Umm, well they're like ghost cryptonyte. It literally destroys ghosts from the inside out. Anyway it's painful as hell...like when you wave garlic near a vampire."

"Ohhhh ok got it."

She listens intently, taking notes on everything, not wanting to miss a single detail. She wants to absorb as much of his essence as she can to translate into her shrine. He also shares his preference for milk chocolate as well as his giant sweet tooth. When asked about his favorite fruits he shrugs and tells her he doesn't really have a preference. If he had to pick his top three it'd be blueberries, apples, and cherries. He hates pineapples because it stings his mouth and watermelons have too many seeds. She jots it all down, making notes of foods she can make and things she should substitute.

Just as she is about to ask his age and favorite flowers his cellphone rings? She didn't know ghosts had phones. He scrambles to take it out of his pocket- his jumpsuit has pockets too?- and with one look at the screen he visibly tenses up. Could it be an emergency?

"What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I have to go."

He looks at her apologetically for a moment longer then zooms through the window, down the street and out of sight. She's a bit disappointed by his hasty exit but understands that a hero's work is never done. She goes over her notes and decides to flesh out the foods and arrangements of the shrine, she'll worry about designing it after she knows more about him. For now she can work with what she's got.

The next day she's rummaging through her locker trying to find her English textbook when someone walks right into her. She whirls around, about to tell them off when the words dry up in her throat.

"...Danny...are you ok?"

The poor boy looks like he hasn't slept in months. Hair more disheveled than normal, clothes dirty and wrinkled, even his bags have graduated to luggage. He doesn't even register her question, he just stands there, swaying slightly staring off into space. The most disconcerting thing about him though, is the stormy look in his eyes. The self loathing is practically visible, and the untamed rage swirling around in his green...GREEN!?

"...Danny...why are your eyes glowing green?"

"What? No they're not. Sometimes in the light my eyes have a green tint, it's totally normal. Don't worry about it. Just a trick of the light. Heh heh..."

That seems to have snapped him out of whatever he was thinking of. She's seen him spaced out before but this was a bit scary. It was like his body was on autopilot, and his consciousness was somewhere else. Something inside her told her she shouldn't ask but seeing as Manson and Foley aren't here today it didn't feel right leaving him alone. They're probably sick from the flu that's been going around. Her friends are all sick too, even Valerie is coughing up a lung.

"Come on or we'll be late to Lancer's class, and lord knows you of all people can't afford another lateness."

She grabs his arm and drags him all the way, garnering a few stares along the way but nothing outrageous, she's hung out with Danny and his crew before. She can feel a slight resistance on his part but he gives up almost immediately. They get to class with seconds to spare and sit side by side. He gives her an odd look, questioning their seating arrangement with an eyebrow raise.

"It's obvious that you don't have your textbook and since your gang isn't here today I'm going to share mine."

His eyes grow wide as he stares at her speechless, however at the mention of his friends his eyes dim and a kind of sadness takes over. He mumbles a thanks and faces forward as Lancer announces the start of class. She feels bad for him, he must be worried about them. She's worried about her friends too but the trio has always been super close so they must feel that much more strongly about each other.

As they share the book, she can't shake the confusing fluttering in her stomach. She knew having leftovers for breakfast was not a good idea, that has to be it. She glances over at Danny and notices that he's a bit pinker than the start of class. He glances over at her and immediately averts his eyes, having been caught. Her heart beats just a bit faster at his reddening face that he's trying to cover with his shoulder. He's always been an awkward boy so she doesn't think much of it. But that doesn't explain her heart rate...maybe she should stop having heavy breakfasts.

She chances another glance at him. He's starting off into space again, with that sad, self hating look in his eyes. Danny's always been the quiet kid that keeps to himself, and his two friends. But he's never looked this depressed before. She doesn't like seeing him like this, not one bit.

The day is finally over and after packing her things she jogs after Danny, grabs his wrist and drags him along and out the school doors.

"Umm...what are you doing?"

"It's weird to see you so gloomy, that's Manson's job, so we're going to do something about that."

"W-w-what? N-no that's ok you don't have to-"

"Shut up Fenton, we're going to hang out until you stop looking like a kicked puppy"

 **So sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up. As I said before, my dumbass shaved off the top of my finger with a mandolin slicer because I refused to use the finger guards. Half of my fingernail is gone and I really hope that it grows back eventually. I'm healing up nicely now so that's a plus. As I post this it's been about 5 days since [The Incident] it's still gnarly looking and hurts like a bitch but at lest the bleeding has stopped.**

 **Out of all the fingers I could have sliced it was the middle one on my right hand. And since I'm right handed, this means that until I'm fully healed I can't draw either! The inability to draw is honestly killing me.**

 **Thank you for your patience and please review!**


	6. Confusing Feelings pt 1

A/N: To everyone who leaves a review thank you so much! I don't think I've ever said that to you guys before. I love hearing what you guys think and sometimes I even takes some of your speculations and incorporate them into the story.

Also to the Guest who leaves the long reviews: I love you. Your feed back is amazing and I smile every time I read them thank you :)

Chapter Six: Confusing Feelings pt. 1

"So?"

"So...what?"

"You know"

"Uhh...?"

She sighs in exasperation. He really is as dense as molasses. After dragging Danny to the Nasty Burger, forcefully sitting him down in a booth and ordering their food, she returned to find him looking out the window. He looked so defeated and angry it was almost palpable. There's that squirming feeling again, should she go to a doctor? Ignoring it she set the tray of food down and they began their unofficial staring contest.

"Listen, according to other people I'm apparently clueless as fuck so you're going to have to spell it out for me"

"Fine, Jesus, are you feeling any better?"

"...yeah, I guess"

His eyes betray his words. She can see the typhoon of emotions raging on. A swirling storm of regret, anger, sadness and self loathing. Whatever happened really shook him. Unfortunately for him, his poker face doesn't include his very expressive eyes, and she's much more observant than she lets on.

"Bullshit. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but don't lie to me either. Anyway I guess I'll lend an ear since the other two musketeers aren't here...ha, that rhymed!"

He looks at her in surprise. Apparently he didn't think he was that easy to read. She does get him to crack a tiny smile though, enough to make it seem like he will be ok. His smile is so contagious, she can feel her face move without her consent. As she smiles, his widens just a bit more, even the emotional storm in his eyes calms a bit. He thanks her for trying to cheer him up.

"Don't thank me yet, this is just stop number one on our trip"

"What?"

"I'm not letting you go home until you're back to normal-"

He opens his mouth ready to interrupt.

"-and since today is Friday you don't have to worry about homework so don't even try that line"

He deflates slightly, she saw that excuse coming a mile away, he's such a bad lier.

"Now shut up and eat your food before it gets cold and gross"

He chuckles and digs into his burger with renewed vigor. She also eats her fries with enthusiasm, being hungry after a full day of school. With the ice broken, they settle into light conversation. They talk about school, music, movies, whatever comes to mind. She makes sure to always steer the conversation away from his friends, keeping it lighthearted.

She's learned more about him in these two hours than in the last two years. He apparently has a giant sweet tooth, loves sushi, lives for astronomy, loves dogs, and even likes tamales. She tells him about her aunt's famous tamales. He's practically drooling at the thought. She laughs and offers to save him some, he thanks her enthusiastically.

"Alright, now that we're done eating we're off to our next destination"

"You seem really eager about this, should I be scared?"

"Relax would you? We're just going to the mall. Jeez, you'd think I was a ghost kidnapping you with how apprehensive you're being"

He chuckles nervously as they throw out their garbage and head out. On their way there they come across an old lady looking a little lost. She watches in surprise as Danny jumps in to try and help her. After the cat incident she shouldn't be surprised, he does look like the type to answer any cry for help. As she waits a little ways away she can see him getting a bit flustered. He waves his hands and speedily walks back to her, looking a bit embarrassed. It turns out the old lady doesn't speak English.

"Hola señora en que le puedo ayudar?"

[hello ma'am, how may I help you]

"Oh, gracias mija, que Dios te bendiga. Estoy buscando esta dirección, es la casa de mi hijo y estoy un poco perdida."

[oh, thank you child, may God bless you. I'm looking for this address, it's my son's house but I seem to be a bit lost]

"No se preocupe señora, deje me ver la dirección. Ah sí, está a dos calles de aquí. Si usted camina asta la esquina de esta calle, haga una izquierda y cruza las dos calles siguiente. Luego haga otra izquierda y la casa está al final de la calle a la mano derecha"

[don't worry ma'am, let me see the address. Yeah, that's two streets over from here. If you walk to the corner of this street and make a left, cross the next two streets. Then make another left and the house will be at the end of the street on the right hand side]

"Muchísimas gracias mijita, que tengas un bonito día con tu novio"

[thank you so very much child, hope you have a beautiful day with your boyfriend]

"Gracias seño-QUE? No! El no es mi n-novio! Solo un amigo! Un amigo!"

[thank you ma-WHAT? No! He's not my b-boyfriend! Only a friend! A friend!]

The old lady chuckles and waves goodbye, leaving Paulina a flustered mess. Her heart racing faster than ever before. Did they really look like a couple? She smiles involuntary, then furiously shakes her head. When she turns around however, the look on Danny's face is enough to freeze her to the spot.

He's looking at her as if she was the eighth wonder. His slack jawed awe is so intense. She can feel him looking into her soul. They make eye contact and both turn as red as cherries, but for different reasons. Even though he's been caught staring he doesn't look away, it unnerves her a bit. His expression then morphs into one of realization, as though he's solved one of life's mysteries just by looking at her.

She understands this is nothing new, lots of guys would drool after her in freshman year, and some still do. She used to thrive off the unwavering attention. That however is in the past, though that's not to say that she doesn't still enjoy the attention, even if secretly. This however, is different, because she knows Danny doesn't feel that way about her anymore. At that admission her heart aches just a bit. After a long uncomfortable silence she finally finds her voice.

"W-what? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Wow... I MEAN, I-I've never heard you speak Spanish before so, um..."

"Oh, yeah..."

"...Do you...do you think you could...tutor me?"

"W-what?"

"Y-you don't have to if you don't want to it's fine!"

"No, it's ok...if you really want me to...then I'm ok with it"

He stares at her, as if expecting her to take it back. Slowly his shoulders come down from his ears and the tiniest of smiles graces his face, evolving into the most genuinely, dazzling smile she's ever seen. It's so bright, she had to shield her eyes. The happiness radiating off him was out of this world, and she is the source of that happiness. Before she was even aware of it her cheeks were hurting from how wide she was smiling.

He lets out a little giggle and that was the end. They both dissolved into uncontrollable laughter in the middle of a busy street. She didn't even care that people were staring, the bubbly feeling in her heart kept her feeling like she was flying. She hasn't laughed this genuinely in so long, and to think Danny was the one to pull it off. After they finally calm down into tiny giggles, and feeling bold, she grabs his hand.

"C'mon! We're burning daylight and I promised you a trip to the mall"

"O-ok, woah! Slow down!"

She drags him along without looking back. If her face feeling hot is any indication she doesn't want him to see her blushing like a little girl. She's not sure what, but something has changed between them. This feeling of giggly happiness she's feeling is strange but not unpleasant. Smiling broadly she picks up the pace, hoping this will be a fun day out with a good friend.

 **Don't mind me as I smile like an idiot while writing this. Omg I'm having so much fun building their relationship. This feels like a three parter, so stay tuned for that. I think I'm also gonna write little one shots of Danny's POV of some of these chapters. Cuz what I have him thinking is too good to not write.**

 **In other news, my finger is doing much better! The scab fell off and the nail is growing at super sonic speed [insert mandatory gotta go fast] I might be completely healed by January which means I'll be able to draw soon!**

 **Also I've started a tumblr/instagram drawing event called ShipMas! If you want to participate or just wanna check it out then head over to my Instagram or Tumblr @digitalartmonster**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. Confusing Feelings pt 2

Chapter Seven: Confusing Feelings pt. 2

As they walk in through the automatic doors the first thing to catch their eyes were all the Halloween decorations. Every store is decked out with the spooky spirit of the season. She smiles so wide, loving the atmosphere. She feels Danny tug on her hand. Turning to look at him she notices he's looking everywhere except at her, his face turning very pink and sweating uncomfortably. She looks down at their joined hands and realizes they walked he whole way to the mall holding hands.

She sucks in a breath and releases his hand as if it had burned her. They take a step away from each other and laugh awkwardly. She notices Danny rubs the back of his neck when he feels uncomfortable, the action looks oddly familiar. She brushes imaginary dust from her jeans, clears her throat and takes a deep breath.

"Ok, so here's the plan, we're gonna take turns going to stores we wanna check out, and then we get out of here to our last destination"

"Ok, sounds good, who goes first?"

"Um...rock, paper, scissors?"

He nods and they play. Turns out he's good at this game. He's hesitant at picking a store, she narrows her eyes at him, she knows that look, she's seen it on countless guys trying to do what they think she wants them to do. She smacks him on the shoulder, telling him it doesn't matter what she may or may not think. The point of coming here was for him to feel better so he better pick a store he really wants to check out willingly or she will make him.

He raises his arms in surrender, trying to calm her down. She crosses her arms and leans on her left leg, causing her hip to pop out. She could have sworn she saw his eyes follow the action, but it happened too fast for her to be sure. He looks around and picks the video game store. She pats him on the back, that's more like it. She's so done with people being fake around her. She would never admit it but Manson was right when she called her shallow, that's why she tries so hard to be genuine, even if it's expressing something unpleasant. She's going to own her feelings and opinions. She wants to surround herself with real people, so she can have real relationships built on trust and acceptance. Not smoke and mirrors just to keep appearances, that can lead to some very unhealthy habits. She would know.

That's one of the things she envies the trio for, their complete and total trust in each other. How they tell each other things exactly as they think them, without holding back. Her friends, though getting better, will never be like that. She can't really fault them for it, that's just how they've always been, her included. But it's never too late to change, that's what her mother always tells her. She jumps slightly as Danny bolts past her, straight into the game store.

She half jogs to catch up, bewildered by his sudden exit. When she walks in she bites her lip, trying to stifle the laughter bubbling up her throat. Danny has his face smashed against the glass of a brand new game station, mumbling to himself. When she asks what's so special about it he launches full speed ahead, explaining the greatness of the brand new graphics whatchamacallit and the mechanics thingamajig. She couldn't comprehend half the things he was saying. It was like he was speaking another language for all she knew.

He abruptly stops and apologizes, she's not sure what face she was making but he definitely saw her confusion. He restarts and explains it in English this time. Apparently this game station is revolutionary in the way it functions and how the game mechanics make you feel like you're actually there. She's never been one for playing video games, mainly because she's terrible at them, but she enjoys watching other people play them.

He decides to get a new game, he's been waiting for this one for months, seizing the opportunity to rub it in Foley's face that he got a copy before him. He tied to hide it but she saw the brief sadness in his eyes. After making his purchase it's her turn to pick, and of course her first choice is the makeup store. At the silent groan on his face she tells him he can wait outside is he wants. He immediately declines, reasoning that if she went into the game store with him then he can do the same.

She's secretly happy he decided to come in, it's no fun shopping by herself. She grabs a basket and starts filling it with things she's running out of or new things she wants to try. As she's making her way through the different brands she turns to Danny, only to find him not there. Retracing her steps she finds him staring at a shelf, dumbfounded. When she gets closer, she can tell he's looking at an expensive foundation.

"Sixty five dollars for face paint? That's insane!"

"Hey, you just shelled out fifty dollars for a video game, you have zero room to judge. Besides, that's one of the more expensive brands, I never pay more than forty five for foundation"

"Yeah but at least a video game you can play over and over forever, makeup runs out"

"Yes, but the amount you need to cover your whole face is very small so it lasts a very long time and makes your skin look photoshopped to perfection. Therefore your argument is invalid"

He huffs, mumbling something about crazy girl things, she half smiles at his antics. She makes it to the register and payes for her things. Upon walking out of the store the sweet smell of fresh cinnamon soft pretzels assaults their noses. She's a sucker for those. Danny turns to her, with a sparkle in his eyes that reminds her of a little kid.

"That smells so good! I'm a sucker for cinnamon soft pretzels, you want some? My treat"

"Sure! They're actually my favorite too"

He smiles, and jogs over to the line. She moves over and stands close to the windows, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Why does she feel so happy all of a sudden? She decides not to dwell on it, and just enjoy the moment. Suddenly she feels a tap on her shoulder, smiling she spins around. However the person who tapped her was not Danny.

"Hey babe, been waiting long?"

A very sleazy looking guy walks up to her, with the most phoned in pickup line she's ever had the displeasure of hearing. He looked like the type of guy that thinks he can just buy everything he wants and nobody can oppose him, like he owns the world. His two cronies flanking his sides, encircling her. A tactic they use to make her feel like she's trapped an has no choice. She hates guys like that with a burning passion. Her face morphs into one of disgust.

"I'm sorry, I think you have me confused with some one else"

"C'mon babe, don't be like that. A pretty girl like you deserves to be on the arm of a rich cool guy like me"

His smile is like oil, every single hair on her body stands on end. He's entire presence feels like greasy garbage. She wants nothing to do with him.

"I said I'm not interested, please back off"

"But babe, I can give you anything you desire, just name it"

"How about a breath mint?"

"Hahaha! You're a funny one"

He gets in close and she wants to die. His cheep cologne is overpowering. Every step he takes his "friends" take another. They're trying to overwhelm her and it's kinda working. Her heart leaps to her throat as she feels his hand making its way from her waist to her butt. She reacted before thinking, the slap echoing around the food court. He turns to her, eyes as fierce as a wild bear. She's shaking.

"That wasn't very nice"

He grabs her wrist and hoists her up, her feet barely touching he ground. She squeaks in surprise, not expecting him to be that strong. His iron grip is crushing her bones, she tears up at the pain. Somebody, help. Her voice won't work she's too scared. Somebody please save her!

"There you are! I got the pretzels, lucky too, we got the last ones for the day...Who's your friend?"

Danny! She looks over and sees his relaxed posture and goofy smile. Why isn't he doing anything!? Then she notices. He's gripping the bag of pretzels with enough force to turn it to dust. His whole body is shaking with rage. But the scariest part was the look in his eyes. The murderous intent thundering in his blue irises, was strong enough to make her pity the dirt bag. He lowers her down, but doesn't let go.

"Who the fuck is this kid? Tony, Terry, do something"

The beefy friends lunge at Danny and her heart free falls again. She closes her eyes, this was supposed to be a fun day out. This was supposed to make Danny feel better. But at the sound of heavy bodies hitting the floor she cracks one eye open.

"Let her go, and I'll only hurt you a little"

"Hah! You think that just because you tripped them up that's enough to scare me? They trip on themselves all the time! You're nothing special"

"If you don't let her go now I will act"

He's not kidding...Danny is dead serious! He's never fought in his entire life, what it he thinking!? All those years of Dash beating on him actually caused some brain damage. Oh Jesus lord please do something!

"Please kid, I'm a blue belt in karate, you can't-"

It happened too fast. She didn't see how but one second Danny is five feet away and the next she's being carried bridal style. She looks up at Danny and can't stop herself from thinking how cool he looks right now. He puts her down to the side and faces the baffled scum bag.

"How did- there's no way! You little shit, nobody makes a fool out of me and lives to tell about it!"

He runs straight at Danny, who doesn't move an inch. The strength in his stance is incredible, even Dash would think twice before fighting a guy like this. As the beast of a man gets close Danny reaches out and grabs his hand, Incredibly stopping him in his tracks. Then he bends the hand backwards and the guy screams in pain. She is astonished by the amount of strength Danny had hidden away. She can see his muscles flexing under the hoodie.

"You should never underestimate your opponent. I'm an eight degree black belt in karate, judo and tai kwon do, if I wanted to I could snap your wrist in half and you would never be able to use it again. But I choose to use my strength to protect others"

He releases the guy's hand, staring daggers at him. She's never seen such a scary expression on Danny before, his eyes look like they're glowing again. Looking at him, his stance, his face, it's eerily similar to Phantoms. The sleazy guy scrambles away, friends in tow. Danny turns around and all traces of that scary look are gone. He's back to his sweet goofy self. He sprints to her side, checking her over worriedly.

"Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah, heh, that's what happens when you're this gorgeous. No big deal"

He smiles a sad sort of smile. Like he can see right through her pathetic excuse. Her brain flashes to Phantom on the roof of the school. What? Why is she drawing these similarities? She's over Phantom! She shakes her head.

"Do you still want the pretzels?"

"Hell yeah, just because some sleaze bag tried to get fresh doesn't mean I'm gonna waste perfectly good pretzels"

He chuckles. They sit at an empty table and eat the cinnamon goodness. Her hands are still shaking, that was scarier than a ghost attack. He made her feel like an object, like she didn't deserve a choice. Suddenly Danny grabs her free hand ever so gently. She jumps slightly and looks up at him. He's gazing out the window with a far away look in his eyes, chewing slowly. He gives her hand a gentle squeeze and she understands. He's trying to comfort her, without being overbearing. She smiles into her pretzel, and squeezes his hand back. She's lucky to have a friend like him.

 **Is this chemistry class? Because there are some volatile reactions happening here! (Booo bad joke) lol here's part two of their improvised hang out. Shit is happening and I'm exited to share it. After part three were passed the mid point so get ready for some heavy emotions!**

 **In other news, I CAN DRAW AGAIN!!! My finger is almost all better, he nail just has to grow in. And even though I'm really slow at least I can hold the pencil long enough to doodle.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	8. Confusing Feelings pt 3

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thank you all for enjoying this story and I hope 2018 is good to you all. Sorry it's been a while since I last updated, I was a little stuck in how I wanted to move the plot forward. But it all worked out! Oh, and for those of you asking what happened to sam and tucker, that's the Macguffin. Google it. Enjoy this extra long chapter and thanks for waiting :)**

Chapter Eight: Confusing Feelings pt. 3

"Why do you hide it?"

"Hide what?"

"The fact that you're actually a martial arts master?"

She can see him start to sweat, instantly reminded why Lancer refers to him as an enigma. Any other sixteen year old boy would be boasting about it, showing off. Danny just hides away his talents and freaks out when people find out. He could have avoided years of bullying if he defended himself. He's always been a shy boy but this is ridiculous, if he had that much strength hidden away he could have easily toppled Dash. But, then again, he's more of a protector than an attacker. He's definitely demonstrated that fact. He clears his throat.

"I'm not hiding it...I just don't feel like telling anybody. It's...better for me...if people don't know"

He stuffs his hands in his hoodie pockets, an unreadable look in his eyes as he gazes out the window. It's as if he closed off a part of himself, hiding something he doesn't want her, or anyone really, to see. It feels like he's putting distance between them, even though they're sitting side by side. She's not sure why but it stings a bit, that he wouldn't trust her. Then again, they've never been close friends. Maybe it's time to change that.

"...C'mon"

"Where are we going now?"

"I just need one more thing before we leave"

They make their way towards the home goods store. Searching the isles they make it to the fragrances, she browses the shelves till she finds what she's looking for. She smiles nostalgically as she reaches for it.

"A candle?"

"Not just any candle, it's marigold meadow scented. It's for my grandmother, this was her favorite when she was alive"

He looks at her in surprise, she can see the apology in his eyes before he speaks.

"It's fine, she passed on peacefully."

"Then...why the candle?"

"To put on her shrine for the day of the dead."

She walks off towards the register, leaving Danny rooted to the spot. She can feel the curiosity rolling off him as he trails behind her. She pays for the candle and they make their way to the exit. Just before they reach the mall doors he speaks up, a serious look in his eyes.

"What is the day of the dead exactly?"

"Hm? Oh, it's a Mexican holiday where once a year, your ancestors can come visit the land of the living and check up on their families. So to allow them to do that, we honor them with a shrine of objects to help them out in the afterlife. Practical things or things they simply enjoyed when they were alive, as long as the object has emotional value to the deceased."

He looks at her with equal parts confusion and curiosity. However there's something else just below the surface, she can't quite place it. He asks more questions, genuinely interested in learning about her culture. She happily complies, hoping that by sharing this he will open up to her more. She tells him about the celebration, the traditions, and the significance of the shrine. She's never seen him this attentive before, it's a bit unsettling.

"So, basically the ghosts of your family members come visit you while you're all partying for two days? They're not...you know...?"

She gives him with an unimpressed deadpan look. Of course the son of two ghost hunters would jump to that conclusion.

"Tell me, have you ever noticed an increase in ghost attacks on November 1st and 2nd in the past years?"

"...uhh...no?"

"Then no, they're not vengeful spirits out to destroy man kind and create mass chaos"

He laughs nervously, rubbing his neck. She sighs, a smile playing on her lips at his embarrassment.

"Those are the people that were able to move on, the ones who found peace. They're not tethered to this plane of existence, that's why we have a shrine for them, so they can cross over, and even though we can't interact with them, at least they know we remember them and still love them."

He looks thoughtful for a moment. Then understanding shines in his eyes. He starts mumbling.

"So that's why I can see them but nobody else can"

"What?"

"NOTHING!"

She raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow at his very hasty response. There's something fishy going on with him, but she has no clue what it could possibly be. She narrows her eyes at him as he shrinks in on himself. He coughs nervously and scratches the back of his head, asking where they're going now that they've left the mall, also starting up a whole conversation on the convenience of malls.

She huffs, he always was a master at changing the subject, ever since she met him. He's a real mystery, this boy. One moment he's all skittish and frightened, the next he's like a tiger closing in on its prey. She makes a note to keep a close eye on him from now on. Whatever it is that's going on with him she hopes it's not dangerous. Maybe she's over reacting, his parents are ghost hunters after all. It makes sense he would know self defense.

"We're here"

"The park? Really?"

"Of course! After an eventful day of shopping how better to end it with a relaxing walk though the park? Besides I know of a secret spot perfect for relaxing."

She grabs his arm and pulls him along. They walk through the maze like park and turn down a hidden path. She discovered this little spot while running from a ghost attack a few months ago. A little hidden pocket of peace, since not many people know about it. As they're walking she can feel his arm relaxing, he doesn't tense up as much when she touches him anymore. She'll count that as progress to them becoming better friends.

"Here we are!"

As they emerge from the dense foliage, the orange glow of the setting sun hits them full force. Blinking away the sun spots, the view is breathtaking. A lush green meadow stippled with wild flowers stretches as far as the eye can see. A small pond off to one side, glistening in the afternoon sun. Even a few rabbits can be seen scurrying about among the untouched blades of grass.

After taking it all in she notices he doesn't have a reaction like she hoped. Maybe he doesn't like it. However as she finishes that thought he turns to her and says that he's been here before. She is very surprised by this, the pathway to get here is so hidden, even if you're actively looking for it, it's difficult to find. She only found it by accident and that's because she took a tumble down the hill and landed in the middle of the path.

"How did you find this place?"

"Oh, uh...I was wandering around one day...and just happened to find it"

"Why do you always do that?"

"...Do what?"

"Lie"

"What? N-no way! I don't lie-"

"That's a lie too."

She looks him straight in the eyes. It's obvious that nobody except his friends have ever called him out on it, given his stunned expression. The emotions in his eyes fluctuates from surprise to fear almost instantly. She's not really sure what to make of it, what could he be hiding that has him so on edge all the time?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, and I won't ask either. That's your business and none of mine. I just don't like being lied to. I would rather you said you didn't want to talk about it."

He looks at her with such a sad expression, guilty, resigned. It almost hurts her physically. A look that says he wishes he could tell her, but something won't let him. At that moment he looked like a man carrying the world on his shoulders. What ever it is he's keeping hidden is chipping away at him from the inside out. She feels her heart squeeze with concern, wishing she could help him. He turns away from her slightly.

"It's not that I want to lie...It's just...I don't...I can't..."

He clenches his fists. Suddenly anger and frustration fill his eyes, rage so strong she's momentarily terrified, even though he's not looking at her directly. She observes him, all of him. In that single change in emotion he looks like a different person. He looks like someone who's seen things no boy his age should have to see. Someone who's screaming but can't be heard. Someone who's suffering is never acknowledged. Then she gasps. A single tear rolls down his face.

"Danny!?"

He swipes at it, only for another to take its place. Soon enough he's crying silently, his shoes becoming very interesting at the moment. She can tell he's embarrassed, but whatever else triggered this is much more pressing. Whatever he's feeling has him rooted to the spot. She drops her bags on the grass and pulls him into as tight a hug as she can. Rubbing comforting circles into his back, whispering calming words. She's never seen him look so defeated before, hell this is the first time she's seen him cry. His body trembles with suppressed sobs.

"It's ok Danny, I'm here. I won't tell anyone, I promise"

It seems she said the right thing, because moments later he wraps his arms around her and clings to her for dear life. As soon as he did though, a tiny sob escaped, and that was it. He let it all out, everything he's been holding back, he cried as if he's never cried before. It hurt her very soul to hear, the wails of a boy broken beyond repair. She couldn't help it, the tears just flowed freely without her consent.

They cried and hugged till the sun went down. It wasn't until an owl hooted that they realize how long they spent there. She wonders when they sat down, she didn't even remember moving under a tree. They part slightly, she looks up at him, making sure he's ok. He gives her a tired smile, one that expresses more than just gratitude. She smiles in return, unable to help herself. He's the first to snort, then she giggles, as though a switch has been flipped Danny dissolved into laughter. She's never heard such a genuine sound, she laughs along with him, she's so relieved he's ok.

He grabs her shoulders, cutting her laughter short. Bringing her in for one final embrace, she reddens a bit but happily accepts.

"Thank you Paulina, you have no idea how much I needed that"

"Y-you're welcome, I'm just glad you're ok...you are ok right?"

He flashes a dazzling smile, the kind that makes her knees weak. It makes her heart dance.

"Better than ok, and you know what, for the first time in a long time, I actually feel happy."

She's not sure how to respond. She's stunned, for him to let himself go like this in front of her, is something she never thought would happen. He's only ever this expressive around Manson and Foley. The only two people in school he trusts. That must mean he trusts her too!

"That's what friends are for!"

"Thanks...you know what, I like this new Paulina way better"

"Oh, so you're saying I was garbage before?"

"NO! Wait, that's not what-"

"Relax Danny I'm just messing with you. We better get going, it's almost curfew and I do not want to get grounded for the weekend."

"I'll walk you home!"

His fast response startled her a bit but she hoped he would say that. She agrees and they make their way to the park exit. However, upon reaching the gates they are filled with dread. The park closed while they were still inside. Gates shut and padlocked they look at each other, then sigh.

"That's just great, I am not sleeping on a bench tonight!"

"You don't have to"

"Wha-AAAAT!?"

He scoops her up bridal style and makes a run for the gates. She instinctively wraps her arms around his neck, what is he doing?! She's terrified, but at the same time, feels very safe in his arms. Reminds her of the times Phantom has carried her. He's approaching he gates fast, she closes her eyes. Then weightlessness takes over. Cracking an eye open, she sees they're soaring over the gate!?

As they make it over the points of the spiked fence, he pivots in mid air and flips forward. Her stomach is doing somersaults, but it's over in an instant as they land on the other side. He stands from his crouched position, looking down at her all sheepish.

"...heh heh...tada?"

"Whatever, just put me down before my Nasty fries make a second appearance."

He gently sets her down, she wobbles a bit but after a few deep breaths she feels much better. However, before she says anything, he takes her hand and starts walking. He smiles and tells her that if she wants to make it before curfew she better hurry. She's pleasantly surprised, she was always the one to initiate contact. It's nice to know he's not afraid to touch her.

They walk in a comfortable silence. The last of the sun's rays dimming into dusk. The moon is out and the stars look like they're shining brighter than ever. She glances at him discreetly, she never noticed how grown up he looked. The moonlight accentuating his sharp features. Wait, are those freckles? A giggle escapes her unbidden.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just never noticed you had freckles"

"O-oh...yeah...um"

"It's ok, I think they're cute"

She can't really tell but it looks like he's blushing. She smiles, that makes him look cute too. They finally make it to her front door. He lets go of her hand and they face each other.

"Um...well, uhh"

"Yeah...um"

"...thanks"

"For what?"

"Everything..."

He hesitates, it looks like he wants to say more. His arms twitching slightly, he awkwardly pats her shoulder and turns to walk down the steps. No way, she is not letting him go home with that. She calls to him, as he turns around she jumps off the steps, hugging him tight. He stiffens momentarily, then relaxes and hugs her back. When they part, she smiles and ruffles his hair.

"Good night Danny"

And she dashed into her house. Closing the door she covers her face in embarrassment, but the smile on her face is so strong her cheeks hurt. She peeks out the window and watches him, his smile is brighter than the full moon, he turns to walk home. She even notices a little bounce in his step. She's so happy he's happy. However a cough shatters the moment.

Spinning around she comes face to face with her parents. Her mother's smile is dazzling, while her father is frowning hard enough to curdle milk. They speak simultaneously.

"Who was that boy?"

"WHO WAS THAT BOY!?"

"My friend Danny, remember? He took me to prom freshman year?"

They seem to recall, then launch into an FBI style interrogation. She slips away saying she's tired and locks herself in her room. Danny's just a friend, why are parents always thinking you're dating every member of the opposite sex they see you with? She gets ready for bed, and as she is peeling back the covers her phone vibrates.

[Fenton: Hey, just got home, and didn't get grounded! Thanks again for everything, I really needed that. Good night :)

She smiles into her pillow, face feeling slightly hot. He might as well be made of sugar, he's so sweet. She sends a quick reply, wishing him a good night too. Putting her phone to charge and turning off the light she snuggles deep into her bed and sighs contently, deciding that this was the best date of her life.

Exactly ten seconds tick by before her eyes snap open. DATE!? Since when was this a date!? She sits up, they're just friends hanging out, not going out. They're JUST friends! No...that's not what her heart is saying. No way, this isn't possible. Suddenly feeling sick she dashes to the bathroom and splashes water on her face. After a few deep breaths she looks in the mirror. Looks deep into her own eyes, thinking about everything she's ever known and felt about him. Recalling every memory she has, everything he's said and done. Realization dawns on her.

"I'm in love with Danny Fenton...?"

 **BOOM SON! Drama bomb! Told y'all this chapter was worth the wait. Now we get serious. To answer some questions, Phantom planet did not happen because it's dumb. And Vlad is most definitely still mayor, there will be future fun with him don't worry. Till next time! Thank you for reading and please review!**


	9. Denial

**A/N: IM ALIVE YALL CALL OFF THE SEARCH PARTY. Sorry for the impromptu hiatus, I was having serious writers block. The ideas weren't flowing so I needed a break. But I'm back now and better than ever! So please enjoy this new chapter!**

Chapter Nine: Denial

No way, that's just her mom trying to plant seeds in her brain. She's not "in love" with Danny, she barely knows the guy! Hell the only time she's heard him talk that much was during the adult's rescue mission on the pirate ship. He was actually pretty cool then...taking charge like that. She groans in frustration and flops onto the bed. She will not spiral down this road. She refuses!

It's Monday morning and she hasn't slept all weekend. She spent the entire time dodging her mother's suggestive glances and eyebrow wiggles. While also trying to avoid her father's glares and suspiciously loaded questions. It didn't help that HE texted her on various occasions to get homework help since his crew was absent. She needs a shoulder massage just to loosen the anxious knots. Scratch that she'll need to make a full body acupuncture session and a rejuvenation bath. She sighs. All this stress will cause her premature wrinkles! She is not willing to look like a saggy old lady when she's thirty.

She finishes her breakfast and since It's looking like a nice day out, decides to walk to school, hoping the fresh morning air will do her good. The walk was effective in clearing her mind and calming her nerves. Upon reaching the school she's greeted by her friends who have finally gotten over the flu. She's glad they're all ok, however one person, out of the corner of her eye catches her attention.

It's nothing out of the ordinary to see him fussing over Manson and Foley, they are his best friends after all. They've been joined at the hip since she can remember. But for some reason a small part of her wishes he would fuss over her like that. She shakes her head, she is not doing this now.

"So Paulina, is your super hot cousin gonna be at your house for the day of the dead party?"

"Oh my gosh Kwan, she already said she's not interested!"

"I know, but that was like two years ago and I've changed since then!"

"Yeah, changed your shirt maybe"

They all burst out laughing. Kwan lets out an indignant "Hey!" But before long is also laughing with them. As her giggles die down, screaming pierces the atmosphere. They all turn towards the sound, only to find a giant blob ghost attacking the school.

She's the first to bolt, running towards the football field. With a final glance behind her, she sees Danny run the opposite way towards the science building. She's not worried, he's good at hiding. She dives for the bleachers, going as far into them as possible. She can hear the ghost getting closer, the students running into the field are luring it over. She debates wether to leave or stay, until she hears the telltale signs of ectoblasts. She peeks through the gaps in the seats and spots her hero.

Phantom is fighting tooth and nail to keep the students safe. From her position it looks like he's talking to someone. She makes a risky decision and waves over the frightened students. They all take refuge under the bleachers, the ghost none the wiser. She peaks out, a mixture of curiosity and excitement at being able to watch her hero fight. As he shoots an ice beam, he slams a hand over his left ear and yells at someone? Movement catches her attention and she spots Manson hiding behind a tree, while providing cover fire!? Where did she get a wrist blaster? No way, is she wearing those Fenton-Earrings?

She whips her head over to Phantom, however he's too far away for her to tell. She spots Foley sprinting towards the ghost. Does he have a death wish!? He too is yelling into those earrings. He throws something at Phantom, the thermos thing! Why would Foley have that? Phantom makes quick work of the ghost and looks over his shoulder, hesitating briefly before flying off and disappearing. She could swear he was looking straight at her.

She stares at her classmates, puzzled by the sudden turn of events. Are they helping phantom? Since when? Do the Fentons know? Did Danny sneak them those weapons? Come to think of it where's Danny? She squints her eyes at the duo as Danny comes out from behind a dumpster. Something fishy is going on here. There's no way Danny was hiding behind there the whole time! She saw him run to the opposite side of the school!

As the students slowly leave the safety of the bleachers and head back to class, she watches from behind a tree. They've always been a strange trio, always getting into trouble. But maybe there's a method to their madness. They know more than they let on, she can see it in their posture, their actions. Suddenly she's brought out of her musings by a tackled hug.

"Paulina oh my gosh I was so worried about you! When we turned around and you weren't there-"

Star continues spewing words of relief as she squeezes her, Dash and Kwan flanking her sides and joining the group hug. She smiles and hugs them back. She's lucky to have friends like them, who care about her so much. Out of her peripherals however, she can see Danny watching her. His expression gives nothing away, but she can feel the slight apprehension wafting off of him. The question is why would it be directed at her?

The school day rolls on by and finally it's time for lunch. She decided to bring her own rather than eat the garbage they serve at the cafeteria. As she makes her way downstairs she almost runs over a tall lanky mess of black hair.

"Danny! You should really try looking up when you're walking"

"Oh! Sorry heh heh...I was...lost in thought"

"I can see that mr. Space Cadet"

She can't help but giggle at his embarrassment, he's actually really cute when he blushes. She shoots that thought down the second she became aware of its meaning. But he's making it damn hard not to think about it with that bashful smile...that reminds her so much of Phantom. She shakes her head. Her mouth starts talking without her permission.

"You wanna come over to my house today?"

His eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. Her brain finally catching up she slams her hands over her mouth. His entire face is cherry red, and she's not doing any better. He appears to be frozen, giving her brain time to reboot. She goes with the first plan that pops into her head.

"You know we have that Spanish test later this week and you're the one who wanted tutoring"

"Oh. OH! Yeah hahaha I did ask you that, yup, that was I thing that I had asked for..."

That seems to break him out of his trancelike state. But the babbling that came after was so typical of him it makes her smile involuntarily. She lightly punches him in the shoulder and starts laughing at his expense.

"C'mon space boy, you need to put some meat on those bones"

He chuckles as she grabs him by the wrist and they walk to the cafeteria. Upon reaching the double doors she discreetly lets go of his arm. They give each other a final glance and go off to their respective groups. She notices Valerie is joining the trio today. It's nothing out of the ordinary, she frequently hangs with the trio. However something about the way he laughs around her makes her stomach twist. She turns around, hoping the latest gossip can distract her mind.

The school day finally ends and after exchanging books at her locker she waits by the school entrance. Arms crossed and foot tapping, she attempts to disguise her nerves by looking annoyed. What could have possibly possessed her to ask Danny over? What was she thinking? No, that's just it, she wasn't thinking. She needs to clam down. Deep breath, she's Paulina Sánchez for crying out loud. She can get through this no problem, they hung out last Friday it's fine. She can do this.

"Hey, Paulina!"

Her heart skips a beat as her knees start knocking. She can't do this. She turns around with that perfectly crafted poker face as he runs up to her. Huh, she never noticed the little green ghost patches on his school bag before. They're really cute, maybe he is into ghosts just like his parents.

"Bout time Ghost Boy, I was starting to think you weren't gonna show"

"W-WHAT? What did you say?"

She raises an eyebrow at his reaction. He looks like he's seen a ghost, he's so pale all of a sudden. Oh, maybe he still doesn't like to be associated with his parents work.

"What, Ghost Boy? I just meant because of the patch on your bag. No need to get so worked up"

"O-oh, heh heh...sorry"

He runs a hand through his hair, trying to brush it of perhaps. She discreetly follows the action, wondering if his hair is really as soft as it looks. Even though she ruffled it last week, she was on autopilot and didn't register what she did until she was back in her house.

"Hello? Earth to Paulina, you there?"

"Huh?"

"Looks like I'm not the only Space Cadet"

She scoffs and pushes him slightly, all the while he's laughing away at her embarrassment. They start on the path to her house, but before that she asks if he minds making a quick stop at the party store. Her mother asked her to get a few things for the day of the dead celebration. He complies easy enough, even when she warns him she fully intends to make him carry all of the bags. He just shrugs and reasons that it's payment for her tutoring.

He gives her that boyish smile that should not be reminding her of Phantom saving the day. Why is her brain doing that? Come to think of it they do have an uncanny resemblance. They're about the same height and build. They're faces are pretty similar too now that she thinks about it. That one redhead on the basketball team would never shut up about the resemblance. Wait. Hold the phone. She watches him for a bit. No way, she's imagining things. She waves away the thought as they enter the store.

"Can you grab a basked?"

"Sure, but how much stuff could you- OH MY GOD"

She drops an arm full of construction paper, cardboard, picture frames, paint, fake flowers, glitter, sculpting clay, and tools of all kinds. The look on Danny's face makes her snort out loud. She can't help it, he looks like a horrified cartoon character.

"We just walked in! That's impossible! How the hell did you gather all of that so fast?"

"When you're an experienced shopper like me nothing's impossible"

She smirks at his bewildered look. Flipping her hair and sauntering towards the register with Danny in tow, she pays for her items. Of course, he didn't need to know that she called the store ahead and had them set those items aside for her. That would be her secret.

As promised, Danny carries all the bags the entire way. She's slightly impressed at how effortlessly he carries them all. Even dash would be complaining my now. They walk in relative silence, but it doesn't feel awkward. It feels nice actually, just enjoying each other's company.

"Uhh Paulina? Isn't this your house?"

She looks up and turns around. She was so lost in the moment she walked right passed her house. He's got that infuriatingly attractive smug look on his face. She blushes crimson red and hurriedly walks to the door and unlocks it, but not before smacking his shoulder.

"Mom I'm home, and I brought a friend to study with!"

"Alright Pau! I'll be up with snacks in just a minute!"

Her mother yells from the kitchen as they make their way up the stairs. She is so thankful she didn't have to explain Danny's presence. Yet. They walk down the hall and make it to a set of double doors. She peaks over at Danny when she hears him gasp, too busy lookin at everything and whispering to himself. The corner of her mouth quirks up as she opens the door.

"Here we are. You can drop the bags by the vanity, and put your stuff anywhere I just need to grab some thing I'll be right back."

He's got a weird look on his face, as if something is going to pop out at any moment. He's probably worried about her dad, but he doesn't come home till late today so it's fine. She skips down the stairs and into the kitchen. However her good mood comes to a crashing halt as her mom turns to look at her. She has that giddy smile on her face. She knows.

"Is that the boy you like?"

"MOM STOP IT NO I DON'T"

Her mom laughs heartily. This is so embarrassing, how even did she know it was Danny? She was deep inside the kitchen and never once looked out at them. She made sure of it.

"Mija, you cant hide anything from me, I brought you into this world after all"

"Ugh fine, he's my friend from school and he asked me to tutor him in Spanish nothing more"

"You can fool yourself Pau, but these eyes see it plain as day. And if I'm being honest, I think he likes you too"

She blushes involuntarily, traitorous body. Dismissing her mother's statement she grabs the tray with the snacks and juice and hurries back up the stairs, as far away from her mother's blinding smile. She stops outside the door, places the tray on the hallway table and takes a deep breath to compose herself. She opens the door and picking up the tray walks in.

"Sorry I took so long, my mom was being difficult...Danny?"

He's gone.


	10. Three Strikes You’re Out!

A/N: Hey y'all long time no see! I finally found the inspiration to continue this chapter. I had it written half way through like forty years ago but the last half wasn't coming so I had to take some time. Anyway I made this chapter extra long to compensate for my absence so thanks to all y'all who stuck by me. Also a great motivator are your lovely reviews so please feed this thirsty writer to keep the creative juices flowing!

Chapter Ten: Three Strikes You're Out!

She looks in her closet, down the hall, over the balcony, even the garage. It's almost as if he just up and vanished! Then she hears thumping in the attic. What could he be doing up there? How did he even find the secret stairs? She walks to the end of the hall opposite her room and pulls a lever hidden behind a painting. The ceiling gives way to lower a set of stairs, which she climbs with extreme caution. It may be her house but the attic is still creepy as hell.

She peeks her head in but nobody's there. Suddenly there's movement out of the corner of her eye. She turns so quick her hair slaps her in the face, but nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. The hair on the back of her neck starts prickling, plus slowly rising. She only gets this feeling when here's a ghost nearby. She shifts her gaze around the room one last time. Where is that boy? He better not be trying to pull a prank on her. As she's hastily returning the stairs to their original position there's a flash of light behind her. She swivels on her heels just in time to catch Danny exiting the bathroom.

He looks at her like a deer caught in headlights. He's sweating, his clothes are a little disheveled and he's breathing heavy. He looks like he's wracking his brain for excuses but she cuts him off.

"It's fine you don't have to say anything. I get it, school food will do that to people"

He looks momentarily confused, then understanding lights up his face. He chuckles nervously and looks more than a little relieved. Probably because he doesn't have to explain, it is a sort of awkward topic anyway. She definitely understands though, last time she had school lunch she was stuck in the bathroom for days.

"Though I have to ask, what was with that flash of light?"

He tenses up all over again. She raises an eyebrow at his reaction.

"MY PHONE! Um, I dropped my phone and it uhh, took a picture with the flash on..."

An obvious lie. It hurts how bad it was, she stifles the urge to facepalm, but he looks too flustered with the real reason so she'll let it slide for now. She shrugs and waves him over to follow back to her room. When they enter she sees him discreetly put something into his bag. It sorta looked like a mini soup thermos. She narrows her eyes at his back, is he really helping Phantom or is she thinking too hard. Well that is Fenton Tech made by his parents, so it shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for him not have it on him. She decides to gather more information before making wild accusations.

"Ok Danny you asked for tutoring so you're going to get it. But, I think we should make this more interesting and give you more of an incentive to learn, since your study habits are next to abysmal."

He lets out an indignant noise. She thinks about the stakes. She could use the same method for when she's teaching Star. But with a twist since Danny's a boy. This could work. She stands in front of him, hands on her hips, smiling triumphantly.

"For each ten questions you answer correctly you can chose a pre-selected outfit for me to wear from my closet and for every five question you get wrong, I get to punish you"

He raises an eyebrow and smirks at her, leaning back into his chair while crossing his arms and tilting his head back. He looks at her amusedly and she can't help but feel her cheeks flush. How dare he look so hot when she's trying to make him squirm.

"Oh? What sort of punishment?"

He's totally challenge her. She grins evilly, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on one leg. This time she did catch him glancing her hips.

"I get to dress you up, the whole nine yards"

He sits up, all color drains from his face. He looks at her as though she just said NASA HQ blew up. This is good. Now he'll take it seriously. She asks if he's ready to start, his responds by putting his game face on.

"Alright, I'm going to start by saying a phrase in Spanish and you have to translate it to English"

He already looks lost. She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. They decide instead to take baby steps, translating single words between languages. At first it was going well six questions right and only two wrong. However, Fentons aren't known for their lucky streak. The next three questions were a straight crapshoot. He pales as she corrects him on the final question.

"Well, well, looks like it's punishment time"

She can't help but feel a rush at seeing him squirm. She's always relished in the power she has over people. Composing herself, she walks into her closet, pretends to take a while, just to build the anticipation. Finally she exits with her freshman year prom dress, grinning from ear to ear. His face is priceless. She walks right up to him and drops the garment in his stunned hands, physically dragging him into the bathroom to change. He wines the whole three feet there.

"Remember you agreed to this, therefore, pay the piper"

"UUUGGGGHHHHHHH. This is why I never make deals with girls. You're all demons"

She snorts, finally pushing him into the bathroom and closing the door. She hears him muttering about needing an instruction manual to put on the dress. She rolls her eyes, he is such a drama queen. then the door opens and she doubles over in laughter. He stands there, red faced, waiting for her to finish. The craziest part is that the color suites him so much and since his body is leaner than most guys he could actually pull it off. He lets out an irritated sigh.

"You done?"

She can't speak, she can't even see through the tears. He looks like an angry princess. She sniffles, trying to compose herself. He walks back to his seat and plops down angrily. She follows, a twinkle in her eye.

"You ready to try again?"

"Whatever, you won't be laughing for long"

She takes that as a challenge. They continue the study session, and boy was he wrong. After three more rounds she's added the shoes, accessories, and even a wig. She can't even take him seriously anymore. She's sure her neighbors can hear her violent laughter.

"You know what? You make a very pretty girl"

"Shut. It."

"You better start getting right answers, cuz next I get to do your makeup and after that I get to take a picture"

He pales suddenly. Then just as quick a determined look settles in. He tells her to bring it on. So she does, making it slightly more challenging with longer words and throwing in a few sentences. She knows he's smart, he just needs the right push. Finally he gets all ten questions right and the celebration that follows is nothing short of hilarious. He's dancing around the room wobbling slightly because of the heels and swishing the dress around. She knows her makeup has to be a mess by now.

"Ok space cadet, you can take off the wig and shoes for a job well done"

She presses a button and a small carrousel of clothes comes out of the walk in closet. Every facet holding a completed outfit. Ranging from swim suits to ball gowns and everything in between, she thinks she has an idea of what he'll want her to wear but she doesn't say anything, not wanting to influence his choice. She turns to Danny.

"As promised you get to pic an outfit or me to wear"

He smugly looks at the available choices, all the while she looks at him in slight exasperation. He's such a sore winner. He pretends to contemplate his choices very deeply but she can see he's just trying to annoy her. She playfully shoves his shoulder telling him to hurry up. He chuckles and decides on a simple flower pattern sundress. She's slightly surprised by his choice, she would think he'd want to see her in a bathing suit or the strapless mini dress. Then again, Danny is much more unique than the other guys.

He must have read her thoughts because with slightly pink cheeks he says he wouldn't make her wear anything that would make her feel uncomfortable. Her heart skips a beat at his admission. He's a bonafide gentleman. How is she just now finding this out? How has she never realized that? She nods and takes the clothes into the closet. Moments later emerging looking like she's ready for a stroll through the garden. Complete with peep toe sandals and a parasol.

"...wow..."

She snaps her eyes up, the look on his face leaves her breathless. Its as if the world has fallen away and only the two of them remain, in this little vacuum of space. She's slightly confused, she isn't showing any skin apart from her arms and legs. Even the chest area is completely covered up. Any other guy wouldn't be impressed. But Danny is looking at her as if she were the most beautiful woman alive. Just as suddenly time ticks back into existence and he blinks, looking away, mumbling that she looks very nice. She brushes imaginary dust off the dress and thanks him.

They stand there awkwardly, until Danny finally picks up the spanish workbook and asks to continue the lesson. As time passes on she is surprised by the drastic improvement he's showing. She knew he was smart, he just needed the right push to apply himself. She laughs inwardly, he's such a typical boy, but at the same time, he's so different. She goes through three more wardrobe changes, all modest in style. However she did not miss the slight wandering of his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking. Finally, after three chapters worth of learning, the lessons are over for the day.

"Thanks for helping me out Paulina, you're a miracle worker!"

"Obviously, have you met me?"

They laugh together as they put away their books. She changed back into her favorite jeans and crop top, Danny back in his clothes as well, and was about to walk him to the door when he gasps. She turns to him and asks what's wrong. He just brushes off her question, eyes darting across the room. She observes him, but just before she can voice her conserns her room door swings open.

"Pau, dinner's ready! Oh! Hello there, you must be Danny. I've heard a lot about you."

Insert conspiratorial parental wink. Her eyes widen. Oh no.

"Why don't you stay for dinner since you're already here?"

She can feel the color draining from her face. Why would her mother do this to her!? She can hear Danny shuddering out excuses to leave but why is her mom still insisting!? He looks at her briefly and she could have sworn she saw mist leave his mouth with another gasp. Reluctantly he agrees to stay. She feels faint, this can't be happening, it's going to be so awkward eating dinner with him and her dad-OH SHIT HER DAD! Before she can even form the question she hears it. The thudding footsteps of her father making his way to her room.

Mercifully, her mother reads the atmosphere and intercepts her father at the stairs. She can hear their muffled voices, the heated whispers and finally the retreating steps. She sighs, Danny sighs, they exchange a look. He tries to give her a reassuring smile but comes out as a grimace. It still has the desired effect though, since her shoulders relax and she snorts at the ridiculous face he's making. They slowly make their way to the dining room.

"Ok Danny listen up, if you want to survive this dinner you have to follow these rules to the T, got it?"

"Uhh...?"

"When addressing my father always end you sentences with 'sir'. Never make eye contact with him unless being spoken to. Do not look at me unless I'm involved in the conversation. Address my mom as Mrs. Sánchez. And if you value your life at all, DO NOT go near his prized soccer championship trophy. So stand up straight and put your game face on, he can smell fear"

"You know...you're not really helping"

She rolls her eyes but understands his very justifiable apprehension. She gives him a good slap on the back for encouragement and they enter the dining room. Her father stares daggers at Danny, all the while her mother is smiling warmly. Talk about mixed messages. She elbows him as discreetly as possible, he blurts out a thank you for the dinner invitation and attempts to sit as far away from her dad as possible. That was mistake number one.

"That's my daughter's seat, boy"

He says in a deep baritone that sounds like tires on gravel, and glares at the poor boy, who looks about ready to keel over. You'd think that with her father being the same height as his he'd be used to the imposing figure. He is however much more intimidating than the goofy ghost hunter, so she'll give him that. She's never liked her father's over protective nature and since this is the boy she has undecided feelings for she won't let him suffer alone.

"Actually papá, since Danny is MY guest, he can sit wherever he likes"

She sits in the chair closest to her dad and glares back. She sees Danny slowly sink into his own chair. Her mom comes to his rescue and starts off by serving him a plate and chatting up a storm, if only to keep her father from tearing into him. Finally everyone has been served a plate of rice, chicken, and frijoles. Topped off with a salad and tortillas on the side. The way Danny's eyes roam his plate you'd think he hasn't eaten in weeks. She stifles a smile, hoping her father didn't catch it. Unfortunately for her, Carmen Sánchez sees all. The gleam in her eyes promises mother-daughter "boy talk". She groans inwardly. They say grace and dig in.

"Wow Mrs. Sánchez! This is the best meal I've ever had!"

"Awww thank you Danny, you're welcome any time, right Jesús?"

Her father looks up from his plate and gives her an incredulous look. Then he looks from Danny over to his daughter and back at his wife. Danny had the decency of keeping his eyes on his plate. She prays this dinner goes well and she won't have to explain to everyone at school why Danny's gone missing. Her father just grumbles, he can never argue with her mom. She is a small but very commanding woman. He shifts his attention over to Danny, who's in the middle of stuffing his face like a chipmunk.

"Tell me boy, who's your favorite soccer team?"

Danny, caught off guard by being addressed so directly, nearly chokes on a mouthful of rice. After downing a glass of water he opens his mouth to respond, when blue mist comes out instead. He slaps a hand over his mouth, eyes darting around the room, then settling back to the man of the house. They all look at him questioningly, however she's much more intrigued because this is roughly the third time she's seen him do that. Realizing he still hasn't answered, he clears his throat.

"Well uhm, sir, I uh, don't really, um, care about sports so, uh, I don't have a favorite...sir"

To a man who lives for the World Cup, what Danny said is nothing short of blasphemy. She doesn't need to look over to know her father has clenched every muscle in his body. She does peek at Danny though, and is not surprised to see him glancing around the room. He hasn't grasped the severity of what his statement meant to her father. Mistake number two.

She exchanges worried looks with her mother. Then they both look over at the head of the family. The atmosphere in the room is suffocating, she needs to take a walk. She offers to get Danny more water, hoping her mother can deal for a little while. She picks up the glass and hastily makes her tactical retreat to the kitchen. She sighs, this is why she never brings her guy friends over. Not even Dash or Kwan have seen the inside of her house. She'd rather save them, and herself, the embarrassment and emotional scarring. Then she thinks about why she would risk that for Danny. It felt so natural just inviting him over.

She never got farther than that when the kitchen lights flickered and went out. An eerie greenish-blue glow descends over the room. She snaps her head up only to come face to face with a buffalo sized spider. Her eyes grow imposingly large while her pupils shrink to nothing but dots. The scream lodged in her throat, unable to escape. She can't move! Her very justified, arachnophobia freezes her to the spot. It slowly, tauntingly, makes its decent down the chandelier. All the while dripping ectoplasm everywhere. The sight of its long, creepy legs making her skin crawl, tears stream down her face. It gets close enough that she can see her reflection in its eight eyes. Then, it's mandibles open, a la predator, and a single string of ectoplasmic saliva drips onto her face. The pin finally dropped.

The resulting bloodcurdling scream, that could definitely be heard all across town, shattered three wine glasses, two flower vases and half a window. Surprisingly enough the first thing she sees following her cowardly crouching, is Danny flying through the air and delivering a bone crushing kick to its face. Seconds later she feels beefy arms encircle her and swiftly carry her out of the kitchen. Her father looking her over for any injuries while her mother crushes her to her chest. She hears Danny scream in surprise, and seconds later he is crashing through the wall and onto the dining table. Effectively breaking it in half.

"DANNY!"

She watches in equal parts fear and incredulity, as Danny brushes off broken pieces of table and drywall, lunging for the ghost. He continues wrestling the spider and dodging its knife like claws as if he was born to do it. He's herding it away from her and her family, which she just remembered are still there. She quickly glances at her mother, who is watching in horror, frozen behind her father's frame. She then switches over to her father and pales slightly. He looks like he's battling between fury, astonishment, and concern. She hears Danny yelling her name. She turns to him.

"THE THERMOS! GET THE THERMOS!"

He dodges another claw, which gets stuck in the floorboards. She doesn't even think, she just reacts. The urgency in his voice propelling her forward. She moves so abruptly her father doesn't register she's gone until she's half way across the dining room. She can vaguely hear him yelling for her to come back. The blood rushing in her ears muffling any sound. She's only aware of her own breathing, everything feels like it's in slow motion. She senses the leg before she sees it. Her cheerleading coming in clutch she flips over the appendage and continues cartwheeling until she reaches the bag. She jams her hand into the main pocket and in one swift motion pitches it over to Danny.

It soars over the spider, tumbling almost gracefully through the air. She watches, completely numb, as Danny uses a nearby chair as leverage and jumps. Catching the thermos in one hand and removing the cap with the other, the ghost disappears in the blink on an eye. And just like that it's over. She sags to the floor on her knees, the house is deathly silent. She's still trying to process what just happened. Miraculously, of all the things, her father's prized soccer championship trophy survived the ordeal.

That is, of course, until Danny lifted his arm in celebration and knocked it over. Shattering it into a thousand pieces, adding the icing on the proverbial cake. Her father inhaling sharply.

Mistake number three.


	11. Baby Steps

Chapter Eleven: Baby Steps

Downtown Amity Park, inside a tall building on the twenty third floor, in the media wing of the studio, an anchor woman is just about done with the six o' clock news segment.

"And that's why you should always steer clear of Jack Fenton with an umbrella folks, oh? One moment...breaking news, I'm receiving word that somewhere in uptown Amity Park a small earthquake has been detected. Experts are baffled since there are no known fault lines running anywhere near the epicenter. Which appears to have been the home of the Sánchez family...? More on the subject later at eleven."

••••••••••••••••000••••••••••••••••

She can hear nothing but her heart drumming in her ears as she runs. The only thought in her head being 'get away fast'. She doesn't know how long she's been running for, but all of a sudden her arm is yanked backwards so hard she nearly flies off her feet, spinning half way and crashing into a deceptively firm torso. It was then that she remembered grabbing Danny's hand and booking it out of the broken remains of her house. Her father looked like a volcano ready to erupt and she did not want to be any where in the vicinity. She looks up at Danny, he looks just as shaken as she feels. The wildest part is that he seems more terrified of her father than the ten ton tarantula he just duked it out with.

He catches her mid fall and straightens her up, just staring at her, as she stares back at him. She notes the gentile strength with which he holds her upper arms. Hysteric laughter is just barely tickling her throat. He seems to be on the same page, the very corner of his mouth twitching slightly upwards. She can feel her own smile widening. Then he snorts, she giggles, he laughs, she chuckles, the dance of momentary insanity continues until their sides hurt. After a while she sobers up a bit, hands on her hips.

"You are the strangest boy I've ever met, did you know that?"

He digs his hands into his pockets as he shrugs, chucking at what appears to be some private joke.

"You don't even know the half of it"

She quirks an eyebrow. He's so mysterious without trying to be, and for some reason that's so much more alluring. She blinks away the intrusive thought, crossing her arms and leveling him with a playful glare.

"Oh? Is that a challenge Mr. Fenton?"

He looks at her with something strange swirling in his eyes. She sees the slight hesitation in his movements, like he desperately wants to tell her something. He sighs and gives her a sad smile. Shaking his head he turns away from her slightly, trying to make up his mind about something she's not privy to. Then he looks at her, directly in the eyes.

"Nah...you might not like what you find"

In that moment time slowed down. The setting sun behind him cast sharp shadows and a halo glow all across his body. The wind playfully caressing his hair and tugging at his clothes, stirring the leaves on the ground and the feint scent of his cologne. But in that moment, the most startling thing of all were his eyes. They were almost glowing a feint greenish blue. His gaze pinning her in place. The hair on the back of her neck was prickling and she was baffled as to why. Everything about him shifted and became slightly dangerous and otherworldly. She could have sworn his hair flickered white for a split second. He broke eye contact and she let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. Time resumed.

"Thanks for dinner and I'm really sorry about your dining room...guess I'll see you tomorrow"

He waves slightly and turns towards his house. All the while, her mouth can't form words, her brain still trying to process. She stands there and watches him till he turns the corner, the slight hunch of his shoulders, the dragging of his feet, the weight of the world that seems to be pressing down on him. It's not the first time she's ever thought that something has to be wrong with Danny Fenton, but it is the first time she's compelled to find out what. She slowly returns to her house, lost in thought. However upon seeing the state of the first floor of her house and the vein still throbbing on her father's neck, she makes the executive decision to debate her friend's problem tomorrow, after their done patching up the house.

••••••••••••••••000••••••••••••••••

The next morning she speeds through her routine and dashes out the door. Mainly to avoid her father's leftover bitterness, but mostly to make it to the Fenton household in time to catch him before he leaves. She's decided she's going to be more proactive about getting to know him and today starts with thanking him for saving her and walking to school together. However as she nears the quirky house she remembers he usually walks with Manson and Foley.

She's not an idiot, she knows that the two of them don't think 'friend' when it comes to her, but she hopes they can at least become acquaintances, if only for Danny's sake. She makes it to the front door, up the steps and raises a fist to knock. She hesitates, having second thoughts. What if he thinks she's annoying? What if he only hung out with her because of the Spanish tutoring? What if-? She never got to finish her thought because in that moment the door swung open and a torpedo slammed into her, face first.

They tumbled down the concrete steps, landing in a heap of tangled limbs. The world felt like it was doing loop-dee-loops. She hears a groan coming from the sudden weight crushing the air out of her lungs, then a strangled gasp. Her brain focused enough to register that she's lying on the floor, her first thought being the pain in her chest. She probably shouldn't have worn such a low cut blouse, whatever hit her had teeth. Then she opens her eyes and she's greeted with a close up of Danny Fenton's blushing freckled face looking down at her. A second later she realizes the compromising position they are in and she too blushes bright red.

He scrambles back and off of her, standing up as thousands of half apologies spew out of his mouth. She can feel her heart pounding in her chest, however the giddiness overriding the embarrassment is bizarre but not unwelcome. She starts giggling, unsure why, but recently she's just come to expect nonsensical laughter when in Danny's presence. He freezes and she smiles up at him.

"So are you going to help me up or...?"

"Ack! Sorry! I'm so sorry I didn't mean- I wasn't-"

He extends a hand to her, still attempting a coherent apology. She brushes dirt off the seat of her pants and tells him it's fine. However, as she bends over to pick up her purse he gasps. She looks up at him and tilts her head sideways, his horrified stare confusing her. His face looks like it's going to spontaneously combust. She straightens up slowly and his eyes follow her chest. At first she's slightly affronted, but then she remembers this is Danny she's dealing with, he's not like other guys. So she looks down to see what's causing him so much distress.

All color drains from her face. Staring back at her is an angry swelling bite mark throbbing on the top of her left boob. Her hand flies up to cover it as her head snaps up at him. He flinched at the speed of her movements, looking equal parts apologetic and ashamed. The awkward silence stretching into infinity. She won't lie and say she's never gotten a hicky, hell she's had her fair share of groping sessions with past boyfriends. The biggest difference however, is that she actually might L-Lo-Lov...more than like-like Danny compared to the others she's dated. He's special and she doesn't want to mess this up...whatever this is.

Unfortunately the two people she was most worried about decided to make their presence known in that exact moment by snickering quite loudly. She nearly gives herself whiplash with how fast she turned to them, Danny having done the same. She stares at the smug looks the other two are shooting her and she doesn't know whether she wants to crawl under a rock or curse them out. Eventually she settles for playing it cool. Crossing her arms -which she immediately regrets because it only draws attention to the offending mark on her pushed up chest but she's already done it and has to commit to the action- and turning up her nose at them she puts on her best sneer.

"What are you two losers laughing at?"

That only makes them laugh more. She can tell that her face is still beet red, she can feel the tingly heat of embarrassment in her cheeks. Still she must keep up appearances, so she quirks an eyebrow and calculates that this is a good time to bring her arms down and rest them on her hips instead, thereby looking more intimidating and reducing the visible surface area of her chest. She tries to appear unbothered, turning her head away, but actually trying to catch Danny's expression from her peripherals. Foley was the first to regain his speaking ability.

"I don't think I've ever seen you be this clumsy Paulina!"

"Shut up! I'm not clumsy, your looser friend ran into me and knocked me over. Obviously I was going to fall."

Manson then snorts in a very unladylike way and crossess her arms.

"Yeah but you were the one standing in his doorway staring into space like an airhead"

Damn, she's got her there. Paulina hates loosing arguments, and she's never lost one. Ever. So she huffs, flips her hair, picks up her purse as quickly as possible-while maintaining her back to Danny-and storms off. This was such a bad idea. She shouldn't have come over.

"Whatever, losers I'm going to be late for school so get out of my w-"

"WAIT!"

She halts, feet suddenly frozen to the ground. Still facing away she tries to control her erratically beating heart. Then turns around with a disinterested expression, very aware that Manson and Foley are looking between her and Danny. Said boy appeared to not have realized he called out to her, based on the surprised look in his eyes. He clears his throat.

"I-I mean, was there something you needed from me? Wait! Did your dad send you to give me a bill!?"

Now he starts panicking. Both hands gripping his hair, looking paler than normal. He starts mumbling possibilities of dismemberment and his chances of leaving the country. She giggles involuntary. Hyper aware that The Peanut Gallery️ is observing in silent confusion.

"No Danny, my family is rich enough to remodel the house in one night without it making a dent in the vault. I came over for a different reason."

He looks slightly relieved, but only slightly. Their audience a bit more baffled at the mention of a bill and the sudden 180 of her attitude. She doesn't want to reveal her true reasons for coming over with his friends watching, but she can't exactly call him over to talk to him privately without it looking...suspicious. So she swallows her pride followed by the embarrassment and charges forward. She clears her own throat to buy some much needed nerve calming time.

"I wanted to say thank you for saving me and my family from the ghost yesterday."

She can hear his friends choking on their spit. She turns to glare at them but they seem more panicked than making fun of her. They look three shades paler and are looking at Danny as if he just spilled a national secret that could cause all of humanity to go extinct. Danny on his part gives them a hard stare, she's so confused and a bit annoyed that their all having a silent conversation right in front of her. She clicks her tongue.

"What?"

"Nothing! Uhm, you're welcome. No big deal. [insert nervous laugh here] just a normal part of being the son of two ghost hunters"

His friends visibly relax. She looks at him skeptically. He's definitely hiding something, they're definitely hiding something. She raises an eyebrow at his highly suspicious behavior but doesn't dwell on it. She has a mission to complete.

"Anyway, I came here to say thanks and give you these. Since I know you're all about this kind of stuff."

She hands him four golden V.I.P passes to the local space exploration research center with full access to the labs and training facilities. He gawks, mouth flapping like a fish out of water. She never knew a person's eyes could get that big. His expression is that of someone who has just been handed the holy grail. She grins internally at the growing childish delight in his eyes. He smiles so wide she's worried he'll hurt himself. He starts with the typical "oh my god" and then starts talking a mile a minute. She's glad she could make him happy even if it's just with this. Suddenly he hugs her so tight she squeaks in surprise.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!! I've always wanted to go to there! Are you kidding me!?"

"Danny...can't...breathe"

He immediately drops her and apologizes in true Danny fashion. She notices his hugs are slightly chilly but not unpleasant, refreshing almost. Compared to her natural slightly elevated body temperature his hugs feel...nice. She smiles at him.

"No big deal. I gave you four passes because I assumed you'd take your groupies, and an extra one incase you wanted to take your sister or whatever."

He looks pensive for a moment, a slight crease between his brows. He looks up at her and in the most innocent and genuine voice she's ever heard he asks her a question.

"Why don't you come with us?"

The sweetness and hope expressed in that simple question is enough to blindside her. She never expected him to invite her to come along, let alone with his friends in the mix. Her heart does somersaults in her chest, he wants her to go too! She wants to say yes but doesn't want it to be awkward for obvious reasons. She's silent for a little too long since his eyes start taking on a sadness equivalent to a kicked puppy. It hurts her to see him sad like that, more than she wants to admit. She sighs dramatically.

"Fine, if it'll make you stop crying about it I'll go too."

She hears Manson whisper something to Foley that sounds suspiciously like "tsundere". She makes a mental note to google that word. She walks up to Danny and swipes one of the tickets, putting it back into her purse and turning to the other two.

"Well come on! If we don't leave now we're going to be late"

She starts walking off and is delighted to hear Danny agreeing with her and they all fall into step behind her. She smiles even more hearing Danny trying to catch up with her. He falls into step beside her. As they walk she can hear his friends bickering about something or other, but her attention is immediately captured by the boy beside her.

"Thanks a lot Paulina, but how did you know I've always wanted to go to the space center?"

"You're only the biggest space nerd in the whole school, it wasn't that big of a stretch"

He pinks slightly and she giggles. This is a good start to her "get to know him" plan. Even better that his friends haven't been openly against her presence yet. Manson even gifted her with a bandage for her...injury. Granted it was a black bandage with purple bats but it's the thought that counts. They talk the whole way to school, about everything and anything. But mostly just Danny geeking out about the space center. As they approach the school gates he appears to remember something.

"Oh yeah, Paulina, my parents said you were doing an extra credit project on ghost, what's it about?"

She screeches to a halt. Face pale, eyes wide, a gasp lodged in her throat. She mentally returns to her room, into the closet, in the very back behind the rotating shoe display, is her unfinished Phantom shrine. She completely forgot about it! She barely hears Danny calling out to her. How could she have forgotten all about the shrine with the Day of the Dead so close! She abruptly turns to him when he shakes her by the shoulder.

"Are you ok?"

"I completely forgot about it! And the due date is a few of days away! I'm such an idiot!"

She storms in to the school, ignoring Danny calling her. She can hear Manson telling him to let her go, they have class together later anyway. She can't believe she just up and forgot about something that is so important to her. Showing Phantom her appreciation was the whole point of the shrine! A little voice in her head says something that sounds like Danny is a very attention diverting distraction, but she yells at it to shut up. She makes it to the library and finds a secluded corner to draft her plans. She will get organized and resume work on the shrine full steam ahead.

Phantom better get ready because she will be bothering him nonstop till she's done. But how will she get his attention without looking like a complete fangirl? He stopped coming by her room since she was busy with...other things. Then she remembers the boomerang looking tracker in the very back of her sweater drawer. That could work...

A/N: I'm not dead I promise! It's just taking me longer to update because I have adulting to do and it sucks. Thanks so much to everyone who still loves this story. I have lots of fun writing it and reading you guys' reviews is a real motivator and confidence booster. I never leave stories half finished, no matter how long they take. I'm going to delete the previous update document as soon as this chapter registers on the site. Thank you all so much again and hope to update again soon!

Please Read Review!

-Digi


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